Architecture, sculpture and sustainability meet above the city.
SAN SALVADOR DE JUJUY, ARGENTINA — July 2026.
Jujuy has inaugurated the Lola Mora Cultural Center, a major architectural and cultural complex designed by internationally celebrated Argentine architect César Pelli. Governor Carlos Sadir led the opening ceremony and presented the building as a new meeting place for residents, artists, students and visitors. The institution was created to preserve and promote the legacy of pioneering sculptor Lola Mora while supporting exhibitions, education and contemporary artistic production. Provincial authorities expect the project to strengthen San Salvador de Jujuy’s position within Argentina’s cultural and architectural circuits.
Located in the Alto La Viña district, the complex occupies a wooded hillside overlooking the provincial capital and the surrounding mountain landscape. Pelli conceived the principal building in the shape of a sculptor’s chisel, creating a direct architectural tribute to the artist whose works it houses. Visitors reach the museum through a bridge crossing the natural slope, after which a narrow entrance gradually opens into a spacious lobby and exhibition area. Large glass surfaces connect the interior with the Yungas vegetation, allowing the landscape to function as a changing background for the sculptures.
The main roof was engineered to create broad column-free spaces capable of protecting monumental artworks while preserving open sightlines throughout the gallery. Strategically positioned skylights and floor-to-ceiling glazing introduce natural light and allow visitors to observe the sculptures from different angles and distances. The cultural center also incorporates solar panels, a 30-meter tower equipped with five vertical wind turbines and systems intended to reduce energy consumption. Its sustainable design reflects an ambition to combine architecture, cultural preservation and renewable-energy innovation within a single publicly financed institution.
At the heart of the project is a group of six monumental sculptures by Dolores “Lola” Mora, one of the most important and unconventional artists in Argentine history. The approximately three-and-a-half-meter works were produced in Carrara marble and required specialized operations to reunite, transport and install them safely inside the new building. Their relocation provides the pieces with a permanent environment designed specifically for conservation, interpretation and public appreciation. By placing Mora’s work within a contemporary architectural landmark, the center connects two internationally significant Argentine creators from different generations.
Mora challenged the artistic and social conventions of her time by undertaking monumental commissions in a professional field largely controlled by men. Her sculptures generated admiration and controversy through their scale, classical language, technical ambition and representation of the human body. The new institution seeks to move beyond biographical celebration by presenting her practice as part of Argentina’s broader cultural and political history. Educational and interpretive programs will help audiences examine her artistic innovations, professional struggles and continuing influence on women working in the arts.
The complex extends beyond its principal exhibition hall through auditoriums, educational areas, a media library, a restaurant and spaces for temporary programming. A workshop will support visiting artists, while a dedicated store will offer objects and limited collections developed by creators from Jujuy. These facilities are intended to maintain continuous activity rather than allowing the building to function only as a static museum. Authorities envision a broad calendar combining visual arts, live events, training, research, tourism and opportunities for regional cultural production.
The project began taking shape in 2018 after former governor Gerardo Morales met Pelli at the architect’s New York studio. Formal construction started in August 2022 and continued through several stages involving the main structure, metal roof, access bridge, glass envelope, renewable-energy systems and interior installations. Pelli died in 2019, making the Lola Mora Cultural Center one of the final projects associated with his distinguished international career. His portfolio included major towers, museums and public complexes around the world, giving the Jujuy building significance extending far beyond provincial boundaries.
Local participation became another defining feature of the construction process, which involved companies, professionals, technicians and workers from Jujuy alongside national contractors. The building incorporates stone from Abra Pampa, wood from the province’s eastern region and metalwork produced in Palpalá. Provincial financing supported the development, while the land was donated by Jorge Pasquini López for the cultural project. Officials argue that this combination of global architectural design and local production gives the center a distinctly Jujuy identity rather than presenting it as an imported monument.
The opening program includes a photographic exhibition by Fabián González documenting the building’s development and the work required to complete it. Admission will remain free for Jujuy residents through July 9, after which differentiated ticket prices will apply to local and nonresident visitors. Administrators expect the venue to attract tourists while providing the community with accessible spaces for learning, artistic encounters and public events. The center’s long-term credibility will depend on consistent programming, professional conservation and sustained investment after the attention surrounding the inauguration subsides.
Provincial leaders have compared the project’s potential influence with cultural buildings that transformed the international visibility and economy of their host cities. Such expectations are ambitious, but the combination of Mora’s sculptures, Pelli’s architecture and the surrounding landscape gives the institution an exceptional foundation. The Lola Mora Cultural Center represents a public attempt to convert historical heritage into education, tourism, creative production and regional pride. Its inauguration establishes a new landmark where Argentina’s artistic past, architectural innovation and sustainable aspirations can be experienced together.
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