The Generic Floralis has regained its sixth petal. This completes the original physiognomy of this metallic flower designed by the architect Eduardo Catalano He donated it to the city of Buenos Aires and it became an icon of Buenos Aires.
Two wind and rain storms – the first in December 2023 and the second in March 2024 – destroyed the petals, which collapsed and fell. The restoration process required the intervention of a metallurgical company and even one Aeronautical engineer.
Work to replace this sixth and final petal began at first light. At 10:30 a.m. the hardest and most stressful work for everyone involved in the action was already done: the jib crane “released” the petal. Previously it had been attached to the main structure, the porch, with huge screws.
Each petal of the flower is made of stainless steel and aluminum. It weighs about three and a half tons; They are all different. This is what was placed today the greatest. They provided information from the Ministry of Public Spaces and Urban Hygiene Clarion Let the flower stayopen to the maximum of his possibilities; This is how it will be seen from now on.
In the coming days, the water level at the base of the flower and the nighttime lighting design that accompanies this work of art will also be retuned.
Repairing the petals involved replacing one of the four pistils that had previously collapsed. The stamps also light up.
The process concluded today began in May 2024, when the petals were dismantled and taken to the traffic violators’ beach behind the law school; Here the structural problems affecting the petals were evaluated. Finally they were dismantled and transported in trucks to Baradero.
In this city they were in the hands of the Furtan metallurgical company, which has been producing tanks for trucks for more than 30 years; that transport chemicals, agricultural products, food, concrete and gas.
The work has been carried out under the supervision of an aeronautical engineer. Catalano designed the entire structure as if they were parts of an airplane; For this reason, it was manufactured at Lockheed Martin Aircraft Argentina in Córdoba (since 2009 it has been a state-owned company, FAdeA Fábrica Argentina de Aviones).
By October, the restoration of the first petal was complete and the transfer required a whole operation different from that of getting there. Basically because he came back safely. The curvature of the petal prevented it from returning in carts; Among other things, he was unable to cross under the Janello Bridge, the pedestrian bridge over Avenida del Libertador.
This is how they united River and land sections. The pieces were lifted with large cranes and transported from the smelter to the port of Baradero, where they were assembled on a barge to travel more than 150 kilometers along the Paraná River and Río de la Plata to the port of Buenos Aires.
The last stretch of land to the port began from the harbor United Nations Square. Each operation required more than three days of continuous work: the fifth petal was entered from the street next to the law school; The sixth time he did it on the corner closest to public television.
In the square, Buenos Aires Minister of Public Space Ignacio Baistrocchi said that the city finally has the documentary information about the sculpture in its possession; Plans and construction details. The city also has documentation created by the city itself on the restoration of the petals. This is crucial for future maintenance. And as with all monuments and works of art found on public streets, all of this information becomes part of the MOA Archives.
“It is crucial to carry out maintenance according to the needs of this great work. These two petals are completely new.” However, the other four require special monitoring. “The storms in the city can be very strong, which is why it was decided to leave it open because that is where it can best withstand the wind,” explained the minister.
Juan Vacas, Undersecretary of Urban Landscape, recalled that the flower was “found” during previous storms about halfway, neither fully closed nor fully open. In order to remove the damaged petals, it was necessary to activate the hydraulic piston that gives them movement, which ultimately also led to the deformation of the petals.” This branch of government is responsible for the preservation and enhancement of green spaces and iconic parks. Previously, Floralis was dependent on the municipality, which changed last year.
To get an idea of the scale of what Floralis Genérica entails: The city has invested in this improvement work 1,400 million pesos.
The head of government of Buenos Aires, Jorge Macri, was also present at the time when the cranes carefully “released” the anchoring of the sixth and final petal: “It was very difficult, one of the most important monument preservation tasks in recent years,” he told the media.
The city reported that the restoration received financial support from three companies through the sponsorship regime – alliances with the private sector for strategic projects. And to celebrate the works, On Saturday, gastronomic fairs and music shows take place from midday.
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