Walter Gropius in Argentina: A final adventure

The star architect and his team at The Architects Collaborative (TAC) designed an elevated residence for the German ambassador to Argentina in the late 1960s. It was one of the last projects undertaken by the then-85-year-old Bauhaus mastermind and, by some accounts, one of his best. A military coup delayed the project, and a new German ambassador with different taste later killed it.

Earlier designs by TAC architects drew criticism from authorities in Buenos Aires. They were worried about the building blocking the view of the surrounding wooded park. Argentine collaborator, Amancio Williams, suggested a structure with an elevated residence and subterranean reception and administrative area. "Put the house in the trees," Gropius told his colleague, William Roesner.

TAC built an elaborate model of the ambassador's residence for presentation purposes. This was in the day when expensive models were made to show clients what they were buying. The model was featured later at a travelling Bauhaus exhibition in Buenos Aires in 1970. It was destined for the Bauhaus Archiv but vanished along the way. Former TAC architect William Roesner is still looking for it.

Immediately after joining TAC in December 1968, Roesner was assigned to work hand in hand with Gropius on the ambassador’s residence project. It was a process of continuous tweaking and drawing new designs, like this aerial view, which was eventually accepted. "Gropius was always gentlemanly and kind, not especially critical nor complimentary for that matter," recalls Roesner.

Alexander Cvijanovic, a senior TAC architect, would later claim the ambassador's residence to be "potentially the most beautiful building to come out of the design leadership of the late Professor Gropius." Roesner agrees: "This would have been an exceptional building for Gropius — a house in the trees." But it wasn't meant to be.

Roesner worked only six months with Gropius before the Bauhaus founder died in July 1969. The picture of Gropius with the rose and hat (upper right, back) was taken at his 85th birthday party at Harvard, just months before Roesner joined TAC. The photo of Gropius with Roesner in front (r) was taken at the Gropius House estate, where this year's annual gathering of TAC architects was held.