Carlos Thays

1849-1934

Carlos Thays was born in Paris in 1849. This architect and French landscaper, disciple of the famous landscaper Edouard André, was one of the most important designers in the remodeling and extension of the parks and public squares in Argentina.

Carlos Thays arrived in Argentina in 1889, fell in love with the country and stayed for the rest of his life. In 1891 he was appointed Director of Parks and Walks of City of Buenos Aires, where he implemented the planting of trees in the streets, remodeled parks, created walks and extended and remodeled public parks. He was also employed by the provinces of Mendoza, Córdoba, Entre Ríos, San Juan and Tucumán.
 

He had a deep knowledge of the flora of the north and the Argentine Mesopotamia and modified the urban landscape of the city of Buenos Aires. Carlos Thays brought thousands of trees from the provinces and planted them on the sidewalks of the Capital.

The Centenary, Lezama, and Patricios parks as well as the Mayo, Constitucion, Congress plazas and the Barrancas de  Belgrano are Thays work; being the Botanical Garden and the Tres de Febrero Park his principal legacies to Buenos Aires. He conceived these places from scratch or he managed to improve them. .

Another important site designed by Thays is the Palermo woods or Bosques de Palermom which constitute the lung of the city of Buenos Aires and where there are twelve thousand arboreal specimens (magnolias, araucarias, jacarandas, palms, etc.) nine fountains, sculptural groups and monuments.
 

His work at the the Botanical Garden (1892-1898), where he also  lived with his family, was astounding. He assembled the flora of the Argentine provinces and other regions of the world and in his outline he managed to determine three types of landscape design: symmetrical, mixed and picturesque. The Botanical Garden of Buenos Aires was the result of research developed by Thays on the forest characteristics of Argentina, and as outcome, he generated proposals for the creation of national parks, aimed at preserving the most spaces in Argentina.

He also worked for private individuals by projecting and designing parks, gardens, greenhouses and ornaments in more than forty rural establishments, specially ranches in the province of Buenos Aires, and also in the first big rural establishments for tourist recreation. He was the creator of parks and public walks in Buenos Aires, San Juan, Tucumán, Córdoba, Paraná, Mendoza, Salta, Sao Luis do Monanhao (Brazil), Rosario (Santa. Fé), Mar del Plata (all the urbanization between 1903 and 1909), Coronel Suárez (province of Buenos Aires), Montevideo, Santiago of Chile and of the urban designs of Palermo Chico (Buenos Aires), Carrasco (Montevideo) and the village of Chovet (Santa Fé).

In all the important cities of the Argentina and in many ranches and residences it is possible to find Carlos Thays's signature. Often without knowing it we are enjoying his genius and his love for the country
His biggest project was the landscaping of the Iguazú National Park (1911) with virgins jungles, falls, natural landscapes and an urban center.

His designs for the residential neighborhood of Palermo Chico and the beach population of Carrasco in Montevideo (both in 1912), characterize his "picturesque" design, both in the architecture and in the urbanism, associated with a certain informality in the way of life.

Carlos Thays was, undoubtedly, the greatest architects and landscapers mentor and teacher by  fantastically designing all the scenes on which he worked and leaving a remarkable work of notable beauty for generations to come.

Carlos Thays died in Buenos Aires in 1934.