Steel Flower in Buenos Aires – Floralis Genérica

Floralis Genérica – The Steel Flower in Buenos Aires.

This gigantic steel flower was inaugurated in April 2002 and is now one of the most significant icons of Buenos Aires. The official name is Floralis Generica but since nobody is apparently able to remember the ‘scientific’ name, it usually gets called the Big Steel Flower.

You can easily see it, glistening in the sun, when you cross Avenida Figueroa Alcorta. It is beautiful and huge!

This massive flower is 23 meters high and weighs 18 tons. Once the petals are open they span 32 meters and when closed 16 meters. The architect, Eduardo Catalano, was born in Buenos Aires. He paid for the project out if his own pocket and donated this beautiful piece to the City of Buenos Aires. 

A steel flower sculpture that acts as a real flower.

This exquisite Steel Flower is in fact made of stainless steel and aluminum and sits in the middle of a pool of water. This serves as a dual purpose because the flower reflects in the water and it also serves to protect it from vandals.

One of the fascinating features of this sculpture is that it acts as a real flower. The gigantic petals open during daylight and in the evening at dusk, they gently close – a soft red glow emanating from within. This is also the time when most come to have a look at it.

Special days set aside when Floralis Generica stays open all night.

There are four special evenings set a side per year when the petals remain open: 25th May (Revolution Day), 21st September (Spring Day) and the 24th and 31st of December.

On a recent visit to the city we went late afternoon and stayed for about an hour. The flower did not close. I am not sure at what time exactly it is closing. People have been complaining that the mechanism, opening and closing the flower, is not always working.

What do other travellers say about the Steel Flower?

It seems like many major cities have a unique sculpture. Queens has the globe, Minneapolis has a spoon and cherry, Buenos Aires has the Floralis Generica. It’s always worth taking a photo. Supposedly this one opens and closes, but we didn’t see that. Stop by and snap a picture. – Tripadvisor.

Where to find the Floralis Genérica Sculpture?

Plaza Naciones Unidas, at Av. Figueroa Alcorta and J. A. Biblioni, La Recoleta, Buenos Aires, (behind El Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes over Avenida Figueroa Alcorta).