Juan Kurchan
Juan Kurchan (Buenos Aires, 1913–1972) was an architect, urban planner, and designer, and one of the figures who brought the Modern Movement to Argentina. He graduated from the University of Buenos Aires in 1937 with the gold medal for the best record of his year, and after the graduates' study trip to Europe stayed in Paris with his classmate Jorge Ferrari-Hardoy to work for Le Corbusier on a master plan for Buenos Aires. There they met Antoni Bonet; back in Buenos Aires in 1938 the three founded Grupo Austral and designed the BKF chair, and in 1939 published the group's manifesto, Voluntad y Acción.
With Ferrari-Hardoy he built the Los Eucaliptus apartment building on Virrey del Pino (1941–1943) and other early modern buildings in Buenos Aires. He was the city's director of urban planning in 1952, and with the URBIS group, which he co-founded in 1950, worked on master plans for La Plata, Ensenada, and Posadas and on research buildings for CONICET, including a marine biology centre in Ushuaia. In the 1960s URBIS also set up companies to produce furniture and lighting.
With Ferrari-Hardoy he built the Los Eucaliptus apartment building on Virrey del Pino (1941–1943) and other early modern buildings in Buenos Aires. He was the city's director of urban planning in 1952, and with the URBIS group, which he co-founded in 1950, worked on master plans for La Plata, Ensenada, and Posadas and on research buildings for CONICET, including a marine biology centre in Ushuaia. In the 1960s URBIS also set up companies to produce furniture and lighting.
