The historical post office building in Buenos Aires is now used as a cultural and congress centre. Named after the former president Néstor Kirchner, in the vernacular the building is called Ballena Azul (blue whale). This name refers to the internal concert hall which is shaped like a whale. It is a central element of the design with an area of 2.200 m².

The aim was to achieve a visual seamless cover made of stainless steel Spiral Mesh, type Escale, which reflects the blue colour of the walls. The architects choose a special design for the cover of the whale.

The pre-stressed mesh cover is installed on distance elements and bent flat bars with a distance of 17 cm to the concrete structure of the concert hall.

Material: Escale in 5,7 m web width with high-grade steel strip 1x7mm, with 70 mm height od the spirals and modified grade as well as 7 mm thick aluminium connecting bars.

formTL
design of the Escale-covering (structural design and patterning)

architect
B4FS arquitectos

customer and realisation
GKD – Gebrüder Kufferath AG in Düren

assembly
Gutmetal, Buenos Aires

photos
Pepe Mateos

graphics
B4FS arquitectos

size
5.500m² surface

Escale in 5,7 m web width with high-grade steel strip 1x7mm, with 70 mm height od the spirals and modified grade as well as 7 mm thick aluminium connecting bars.