inside sexto panteón, the unknown brutalist necropolis of buenos aires

resurrecting the story of the Sexto Panteón in buenos aires

Sexto Panteón is a monumental underground necropolis in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Designed in 1949 by the female architect Ítala Fulvia Villa (1913-1991), this Brutalist-style cemetery stands as the first and largest example of modern architecture in the funerary field, yet it remains largely unknown. 60 years after its creation, French architect Léa Namer rediscovers Sexto Panteón and revives interest in its architecture and its forgotten creator through a new book dubbed Chacarita Moderna. In the new volume, Namer delves deeply into this unique cemetery, offering a thoughtful reflection on the legacy of modern utopia and providing a feminist re-interpretation of history.

all images by Federico Cairoli, unless stated otherwise

ÍTALA FULVIA VILLA’S VISION FOR A MODERN NECROPOLIS

Ítala Fulvia Villa conceived the Sexto Panteón (find more here) in the context of post-WWII prosperity in Argentina. At that time, Argentina was one of the world’s leading powers and the second-largest destination for European migrants after the US. The population of Buenos Aires tripled between 1920 and 1960, growing from one to three million residents, creating a need for more space in cemeteries. The city entrusted Ítala Fulvia Villa, who was then working for the city’s architecture and urbanism department, with the task of addressing the urgent need to manage the increasing numbers of deceased. Disrupting the tradition of past funerary architecture, Villa proposed to reinvent the modern cemetery.

Built between 1950 and 1958, the Sexto Panteon stands as a unique experiment in applying modern architectural principles to the realm of funerary spaces on such a grand scale. Ítala Fulvia Villa reimagined the Roman catacombs by designing a subterranean necropolis organized into two levels, with the ground floor left open as a garden. The access points are brutalist temples designed by Clorindo Testa (1923-2013), an Argentine pioneer of mid-20th-century Brutalist architecture, symbolizing the entrance to the underworld. The Sexto Panteon is a labyrinthine and futuristic world where funerary tunnels wind through the structure, illuminated only by patios where concrete stairs unfold like escalators and coffins travel by elevators.

this Brutalist-style cemetery stands as the first and largest example of modern architecture in the funerary field

chacarita MODERNA unveils argentina’s unknown cemetery

In her book (find more here), Léa Namer (find more here) invites readers to discover the impressive necropolis. The publication follows nine years of research into the forgotten venue and its architect Ítala Fulvia Villa, along with four years of artistic presentations at various events of Chacarita Moderna (find more here), the broader research project and series of exhibitions centered around Sexto Panteón. ‘In my circle of Argentinian architect friends, nobody seemed to know the Sexto Panteón. The few people who could identify it didn’t seem to find any particular interest in it,’ shares the French architect and author. ‘I tried to find information online: ‘Buenos Aires underground cemetery’: nothing. ‘Chacarita brutalist cemetery’: nothing. ‘Clorindo Testa Chacarita’: nothing.

The French architect was able to acquire some information after visiting the Sociedad Central de Arquitectos located in the historic center of Buenos Aires. The institution had a small library where one could consult architectural magazines published in Argentina since the 1930s. A single search result appeared in the computer at the reception: Nuestra Arquitectura no. 379, published in June 1961. This discovery kickstarted Namer’s extensive research journey.

thick concrete walls structure the cemetery

In the volume, Namer narrates her visit to the cemetery with eloquence and detail. ‘Images of Greek mythology preoccupied me as I took the stairs leading to the underworld for the first time. I felt like Orpheus descending into Hell. A first level, then a second… The light and sounds felt different. The air temperature felt cooler and a strong smell entered my nostrils: the smell of death. In the world below, not a single visitor, not a single sound. I only heard the echo of my footsteps. Thick walls of tomb niches surrounded me in the darkness of a funerary gallery. The same box repeating itself ad infinitum. Inside each, a coffin, and what was once a life. This rationalisation of the space of death made me shudder and I suddenly feared getting lost in this macabre labyrinth. Luckily, in the distance I spotted the rays of sunshine crossing the depths of your necropolis, which to me seemed like a modern reinterpretation of the Roman catacombs,’ Namer writes.

‘Several metres underground, lush vegetation grew in silence. The brilliance of its colors exploded in conjunction with the concrete lattices that surrounded it. I closed my eyes. The shrill cries of parakeets echoed in the distance. It felt like discovering a forgotten pre-Hispanic city in the jungle.’

the particular attention to details creates a sharp contrast with the massive scale of the project