Francisco Salamone (1897–1959) was an Italian Argentine architect known for designing, in just four years, more than 60 buildings in the Buenos Aires Province, mainly in Art Deco and Futurist styles. He began his work in 1933 in the city of Villa María, Córdoba doing road paving works, a slaughterhouse and the Centenario Square. In 1935 a new mayor was elected that started solving the municipal deficit by ending public works and accusing the former mayor of embezzlement, this led Salamone to relocate to Buenos Aires Province.[1] There, he met the provincial governor, Manuel Fresco of the National Democratic Party.[2] Fresco embarked in big public works projects, which were expected to encourage the growth of small towns and cities. He entrusted Salamone with the task of constructing different public buildings in the humid pampas, giving him full powers and funding.[3]
The majority of his work consisted of three types of constructions: city halls, cemetery gates and slaughterhouses. He also made squares, porticos, sidewalks, lamp poles, urban furniture and furniture of the municipal palaces. During this period he only built two private homes.
When Fresco was removed from power in 1940 by a federal intervention, Salamone moved with his family to Buenos Aires City. In 1943 he had to go into exile in Uruguay after being accused of corruption in a road paving work in San Miguel de Tucumán. After the charges were withdrawn, he returned to Argentina where he directed multiple urban road paving works and only worked on two buildings of rationalist style, a private house, and a new wing for a private school.[4]
- ^ Longoni & Molteni 2014, p. 22–29.
- ^ Longoni & Molteni 2014, p. 28–30.
- ^ Longoni & Molteni 2014, p. 42–45.
- ^ Longoni & Molteni 2014, p. 37–41.