South American architecture, buildings

South American Architecture Designs: Buildings

post updated 21 September 2026

+++

South American Architecture selections.

South American buildings by country

Argentina	Bolivia	Brazil
Chile	Colombia	Ecuador
French Guiana	Peru	Uruguay
Venezuela

+++

We would argue that the strongest recent architecture in South America – Modern and contemporary – can be found in Brazil, though Chile also has a strong tradition relative to its smaller population. Famous South American architects include Oscar Niemeyer and Lina Bo Bardi (actually Italian) who produced celebrated Modernist architecture.

More recently architecture studios such as Marcio Kogan (studio mk.27) in Brazil and Sebastián Irarrázaval in Chile have ensured South American architecture remains in a global spotlight. Another major design studio is Enrique Browne Arquitectos in Chile and in Argentina Andrés Remy Arquitectos has produced a string of good contemporary buildings.

South American Building News

Architecture Designs – latest additions to this page, arranged chronologically:

12 December 2025
Depart Colegiales, Buenos Aires City, Argentina
Architects: Grupo Uno en Uno Architects

photo : Gonzalo Viramonte

7 November 2025
Casa Omaguas Apartments, São Paulo, Brazil
Architectural Design: FGMF Arquitetos – Forte, Gimenes e Marcondes Ferraz Arquitetos

photo : Fran Parente

23 October 2025
Pupunha House, Manaus, Amazonas, Northern Brasil
Design: Laurent Troost Architectures

8 October 2025
VILO Tower, Buenos Aires office building, Argentina
Architects: Rafael Viñoly Architects

photo : Daniela Mac Adden

+++

South America building architects updates in 2024

10 February 2024
HELP – Teaching Hospital and Research Laboratories, Campina Grande, Brazil
Architecture: Contemporanea Arquitetura e Interiores

photo : Vilmar Costa

+++

Architecture in South America

South American architecture news by country

Argentina Architecture

Brazilian Architecture

Chile Architecture

Colombian Developments

+++

Property Developments Archive

South America property project photos in 2015

18 Dec 2015
Museum of Tomorrow, Rio de Janeiro
Design: Santiago Calatrava architect

image from architect
The $55 m Rio building was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and is the centerpiece of a renovation of Rio’s derelict port area.

2 April 2015
New City Hall in Buenos Aires, Parque Patricios
Design: Foster + Partners, architects

image from architects
Lord Foster visited Argentina for the opening of the new Buenos Aires Ciudad Casa de Gobierno, a sustainable building for the Mayor and 1,500 staff. It is the first civic project in Argentina by the celebrated British architecture practice.

+++

South America real estate designs in 2013

4 Apr 2013
Cotacachi House, Imbabura, northern Ecuador
Design: arquitectura x
A couple from the Caribbean seek retreat amid the northern Andes in a small town, two hours north of Quito, an orchard site in a valley between the Imbabura and Cotacachi mountains. The couple needed a design proposal in four days before going home, or they would sell the site! The architecture office had to design a house without knowing the site and after meeting the couple for two hours.

4 Apr 2013
Casa Varanda, Brazil
Design: Carla Juaçaba
Casa Varanda
A house made for the granddaughter of great architect Sergio Bernardes and a Colombian artist was a challenge. At first they wanted the house to have caracteristics of Casa Lota made by his grandfather in 1950.

19 Mar 2013
Casa Agua, New Residence in Buenos Aires
Design: Barrionuevo Sierchuk Arquitectas

photo from architects
New House in Argentina

5 Feb 2013
Faena Aleph Residences, Buenos Aires, north east Argentina
Design: Foster + Partners

photo : Nigel Young_Foster + Partners
Faena Aleph Residences
Foster + Partners has completed its first project in Latin America with the opening of the Faena Aleph Residences in Buenos Aires, Argentina – part of the reinvention of the former docks of Puerto Madero as a dynamic new urban quarter. Drawing on local architectural traditions, its apartments feature vaulted living spaces and deep, sheltered terraces that exploit the wonderful local climate and maximise views towards the city and Rio de la Plata.

4 Feb 2013
Maipu Building, Rosario, Argentina
Design: Nicolás Campodonico

photo : Summa+/Gustavo Sosa Pinilla
Maipu Building
It is a building with a Ground Floor and 15 storeys, with 2 parking levels, where the structure design is determinant. Although it is between dividing walls, the two lower neighbours transform the building in what seems to be a tower.

22 Jan 2013
One Column House, Patagonia, South Argentina
Design: DiA Studio
One Column House
In March, Amsterdam based DiA Studio is set to begin construction of one of its latest projects, the One Column House. This residence is an extension and refurbishment for an existing small old summer house on the shores of a Patagonian lake in the South of Argentina.

18 Jan 2013
Studio R, São Paulo, Brasil
Design: studio mk27 – Marcio Kogan with Gabriel Kogan + Oswaldo Pessano
Studio R São Paulo
Facing a small urban square, the Loft Studio opens entirely to the outside. The inner space of this photography studio flows into the side gardens of the building and into the urban space, establishing a spatial continuity between the square and the building.

14 Jan 2013
Alejandra House, Rosario, Argentina
Design: CEKADA-ROMANOS arquitectos
House in northern Argentina
The design strategy by the architects seeks a compact country house, located on the south side of the lot in order to capture sunlight and to open a large garden area. The property shape is the result of a volume subjected to cuts and subtractions.

3 Jan 2013
New Trade Fair Building in Mendoza, Argentina
Design: architects Mario Corea and Eugenio Tioni
New Trade Fair Building in Mendoza
This architectural competition has been won by architects Mario Corea and Eugenio Tioni. The site for the project is located in Mendoza’s main municipal park.

+++

5 Dec 2012
Bicentennial Civic Center in Córdoba, Argentina
Design: GGMPU Arquitectos + Lucio Morini
Bicentennial Civic Center in Córdoba
The Bicentennial Civic Center will be the first administrative complex to have been designed specifically for that end by the Province of Córdoba, Argentina. It is located on the edge of the historic center of the city.

3 Dec 2012
Algarrobos House, Puembo, Ecuador
José María Sáez + Daniel Moreno Flores
Algarrobos House
Eight identical steel members, 18 meters long, placed along the x y z axis, confine the space for the house and at the same time open it as they project in different directions. They are abstract beams that are oriented looking for their relationship with the surroundings.

19 Nov 2012
Casa Carrara, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Andrés Remy Arquitectos
Casa Carrara

+++

26 May 2011
Cais das Artes Brasil Building, Vitória, Espírito Santo
Design: Paulo Mendes da Rocha and Metro Arquitetos

image from architects
The project “Cais das Artes”, a partnership between the Pritzker Prize winner Paulo Mendes da Rocha and Metro Arquitetos office.