The city of Buenos Aires was since its foundation in the year 1580 linked to the port although 300 years went by until a safe and modern harbour was built. In spite of the fact that the city lacked the necessary geographical conditions to become the main port of the country it was still the most important city in the country because of the great investment of foreign capitals, the laying of the railroad, the agricultural export model, the import of manufactured goods and the growing immigration. And thus its political and economic power were established in 1880.

The ideals of the end of the XIX century made people believe that the port of the newly confederated city would be the great outlet of exports and the place through which "Civilized Europe" would enter into the land, filling it with children, unlimited progress and learning.

The need to rely on an adequate infrastructure obsessed the men of the end of XIX century and this gave rise to an important debate on the future of the port and its city, formally represented by two projects: one by Luis A Huergo and another by Eduardo Madero.

Madero's proposals suggested the port should be located on the front of the city, near where the Mayo square is to be found nowadays. The solution proposed by Huergo suggested dredging and regularizing the bed of the Riachuelo. In 1882 the House of Representatives passed the law with the Madero project which suggested two channels: one south and the other north which came out of the main channel of the Rio de la Plata and defined 2 access dams to the entrance of each channel. Between the dams and facing the urban front four interconnected dikes were placed.

Once the project was accepted the company that was to undertake the works was set up. Eduardo Madero and his sons would be the concession-holders, John Hawkshaw, Son & Hayter would be the managing engineers and Thomas Walker & Co. would be the builders. The buildings were completely opened in 1897. The red brick docks that are today part of the architecture of our port were built out of the necessity to house the grain that was to be exported. They were built by Wayss & Freytag according to a project designed by Charles Hawkshaw. They are together with the railways proof of the influence of the English industrial technology in our country. They were constructed between 1900 and 1905. They consist of three or four floors and a basement.

The foreseeable technical problems aged Puerto Madero prematurely and it was replaced by Puerto Nuevo between 1911 and 1930. It is at present the ultramarine port of Buenos Aires.

After having been left fallow for 50 years, in 1989, it was decided that the 170 hectare-space should be recovered for public use by bringing the city closer to its river. Thus the "Corporación Antiguo Puerto Madero S.A." came into being. This corporation has 2 shareholders: the National State and the Government of the City of Buenos Aires, who turned the old port into a first class residential, commercial and administrative neighbourhood officially known as district number 47.

Buenos Aires, f. mais de 300. Mesmo que esté capital-porto de estrangeiros, o de produtos maiores, o ano 1880 seu povo. Na concepção ibérica, a "Europa Civilizada e cultura."

A necessidade de finais do século do porto e da ciência. Luis A. Huergo Nas sucessivas projeções sobre a frente compensação aproveitamento. O Congresso dos canais, um ao Plata "definindo" ocupando todo entre-si.

Aprovado o projecto Madero e fizeram engenheiros d'arte totalmente inórnicos. A necessidade originou a corínseparável dos planos traçados arquitetura da Inglesa em norte e quatro tratos. Os previsíveis Madero"s atuais portos. Após meio século, para aproximar uso público Antiguo Puerto Madero, Nacional e porto umico reconhecido.

que pasan moderno. Certirse en la de capitales importación en 1880 su

federalizada en el lugar por pueblos, progreso

a los hombres del futuro del del Ing. Luis

calización del de la Plaza de

proponía dos del Río de la Plata las dársenas y los cañones. Son & Hayter, y el Gobierno de la Nueva Spaine. Las obras

granos que se mueven hoy forman la empresa Wayss & representando la importación en entre 1900 y

Puerto Madero actual puerto de

na para acercar al público para Puerto Madero y el Gobierno Puerto una zona oficialmente