Abasto de Buenos Aires, LANúS

Abasto de Buenos Aires is built on the framework of one of the most representative buildings in the city; Mercado del Abasto used to be, by the end of the 19th Century, the main supplier of fruits and vegetables in Buenos Aires. Such is the magnitude and originality of this building, that Albert Einstein himself - when visiting Buenos Aires - was overwhelmed by its design and civil engineering characteristics. The outer structure and art deco style of the former Mercado remained intact; a new lighting system was set in order to highlight the awesome arches in the external facades. Recycled, and re-established in 1998 as shopping mall, it is the biggest of its kind in Capital: it boasts over 120,000 square meters (1,000,000 square feet), four stories with more than 250 stores, a food area that hosts 1500 people, 12 movie theaters, a fun fair with a Fortune's wheel, and the Children's museum, unique in Latin America. Abasto Shopping Mall triggered the re-birth of El Abasto, one of the most traditional neighborhoods in Buenos Aires: the birthplace of tango, having Gardel among its dwellers. Also, the area witnessed the economic development of the city.