Palacio Haedo

The Palacio Haedo (Haedo Palace, also named Palacio Villar) is a 19th-century building in the Retiro neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is located on the Avenida Santa Fe, to the south of the Torre Monumental and the Plaza San Martín, in close proximity to the Consulate of Colombia and the Plaza Hotel. It was built as a residence for the Haedo family by architects Passeroni and Brizuela in the Neo-Gothic style.

In 1881, the residence was acquired by Reynaldo Villar and subsequently by Dominga Villar y Cristina Manuela Villar, but soon came under the ownership of the Banco Popular Argentino. Now the headquarters of the National Parks Administration, it has been a listed historic monument since 2001.

History
The building was built in 1860 and completed in the latter half of the 19th century as a residence for the well-to-do Haedo family. Mariano Francisco Haedo (1816–1886) had made a fortune in railways and banking. Designed by the architects Passeroni and Brizuela in the Neo-Gothic style, it first resembled an Italian castle. It was fitted out as a villa suitable for an aristocratic family and subsequently enhanced with Renaissance trimmings.

In 1881, the residence was acquired by Reynaldo Villar and subsequently by Dominga Villar y Cristina Manuela Villar, but soon came under the ownership of the Banco Popular Argentino. In October 1942, under President Ramón Castillo, the State bought the building for the national parks directorate ("Dirección de Parques Nacionales"). In so doing, it contributed to preserving the surroundings of the Plaza San Martín. Today, the strangely shaped triangular complex bounded by Maipú, Avenida Santa Fe, and Marcelo T. de Alvear, still houses the headquarters of the national parks authority, now known as the "Administración de Parques Nacionales". Bibliotica Francisco P Moreno is also located in this building.

An integral refurbishment of the building started in 2023 with an estimated cost of AR$ 580 million.

Listed building
Since 2001, under Bill 25.427, the building has been listed as a national historic monument.