Fundación Proa

Fundación Proa Review

For more than a decade, this thoroughly modern art museum has been nudging traditional La Boca into the present. After major renovation work, its facade alone reads like a manifesto of local urban renewal: part of the original 19th-century Italianate housefront has been cut away, and huge plate-glass windows accented by unfinished steel stand alongside it. The space behind them now includes three adjacent properties. The luminous main gallery retains the building's original Corinthian-style steel columns, artfully rusted, but has sparkling white walls and polished concrete floors. With every flight of stairs you climb, views out over the harbor and cast-iron bridges get better. The first floor contains one of Buenos Aires' best art bookshops, including a strong collection of local artists' books and photography, which you can browse at trestle tables. On the roof is an airy café serving well-priced salads and sandwiches—bag one of the outdoor sofas around sunset and your photos will rival the work below. English versions of all exhibition information are available. They also run guided tours in English, with two days' notice.