Estadio Luna Park (commonly known as Luna Park) is a multi-purpose arena in Buenos Aires. Located at the corner of Avenida Corrientes and Avenida Bouchard; in the San Nicolás neighborhood. Initially, the arena primarily hosted boxing and other sporting events. In the 1950s, it was expanded to host stage shows and concerts.
| Estadio Luna Park | |
 | |
 Aerial view of the venue in 2016 | |
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| Former names | Estadio de Corrientes y Bouchard (planning/construction) |
|---|---|
| Address | Avenida Madero 420 C1106ABE Buenos Aires Argentina |
| Coordinates | 34°36′08″S 58°22′07″W / 34.60222°S 58.36861°W |
| Public transit |  at Leandro N. Alem  at Correo Central |
| Owner | Salesians of Don Bosco Cáritas Argentina (50% each)[1][2] |
| Operator | Time For Fun |
| Type | Arena |
| Capacity | 8,400[3] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1931 |
| Opened | 6 February 1932 |
| Renovated | 1934, 1951–52, 2006–08 |
| Construction cost | AR$2 million |
| Architect | Jorge Kálnay |
| Structural engineer | Mariani Hnos |
| General contractor | Westley Williams y Cía |
| Website | |
| lunapark.com.ar | |
The stadium has hosted countless internationally famous personalities, including Pope John Paul II, several ballets, tennis and volleyball matches, world championship and important non-championship boxing fights involving Nicolino Locche,[4] Hugo Corro,[5] Santos Laciar,[6] Carlos Monzón,[7] Omar Narvaez,[8] Juan Roldán, Julio César Vásquez[9] and many other famous boxers, circuses, the Harlem Globetrotters, Holiday on Ice and many more.
The arena also hosted the 1950 FIBA World Championship, the final phase of the 1990 Basketball World Championship[10] and the 1976 Basketball Intercontinental Cup in which Real Madrid won the competition.[11]
The arena also hosted the Six Days of Buenos Aires cycle race.
History
editAt the beginning of the twentieth century, Buenos Aires was inhabited by thousands of immigrants from Europe. Additionally, there was an abundance of tourists from throughout the Americas. In 1910, Italian merchant Domingo Pace built Luna Park, an open street fair in the heart of the city. By the 1920s, the amusement park became the playground of the aristocrats and wealthy in Argentina. With the change of scenery, the park began to decline and by 1929, many of the rides were abandoned.
In 1931, Ismael Pace (son of Domingo) and boxing legend Jose Pepe Lectoure purchased land from the city.[12] With the decline of Luna Park, Pace envisioned creating a sports arena in the likes of Madison Square Garden and the Berlin Sportpalast. Before opening in 1932, the arena went through three names: "Estadio de Corrientes y Bouchard", "Catedral del Boxeo", then "Palacio de los Deportes", before settling on "Estadio Luna Park" (in remembrance of the now torn down amusement park).
The arena opened in February 1932 as an open-air venue and carnival. Early on, the arena hosted a boxing match every Saturday, with the first match being held on 5 March 1932. At this time, the arena could sit 22,000 spectators. During the off season, the arena ran rampant with the homeless, causing the venue to become an enclosed space in 1934. During the Second World War, the arena became the site of many Nazi and Fascist rallies. In 1944, during a charity event to benefit the victims of an earthquake in San Juan, Eva Duarte and Juan Perón met for the first time.
In the 1950s, the arena began to decline. Lectoure and Pace were pressured by the city to seek better revenue. In 1951, renovations began for the arena in the style of Art Deco, substantially, the capacity of the arena was reduced. Before construction ended, Pace and Lectoure died. Ownership of the venue was given to Lectoure's son, Juan Carlos Lectoure. Known as Tito, he converted the arena into the site for concerts and it became a major venue for the Argentine rock scene.[13]
In 2007, the arena was declared a National Historic Monument.[14] After the death of Tito Lectoure's aunt, Ernestina Devecchi de Lectoure (in 2013), ownership of the arena was transferred to the Argentine branches of Salesians of Don Bosco and Caritas Internationalis,[1] according to what she previously stated in her will.[15] The Salesians Society and Caritas own a 50% each of the arena.[2]
Notable concerts
edit
'Other artists that have performed at Luna Park include: Blue Man Group, Harlem Globetrotters, other events include Diego Maradona's wedding (1989) and the funerals of Carlos Gardel (1935), Julio Sosa (1964) and Ringo Bonavena (1976).
Recordings
edit- On August 19 & 20, 2012, the American progressive metal band Dream Theater recorded Live at Luna Park.
- On May 29, 2013, the Finnish singer Tarja Turunen recorded Luna Park Ride.
- Emir Kusturica & No Smoking Orchestra released in 2005 the live DVD Live Is A Miracle In Buenos Aires, recorded at Luna Park.
- Huracanes en Luna plateada live album by Los Piojos was released in 2002.
- El Regreso, by Andrés Calamaro, was released in 2005.
Gallery
edit
References
edit- ^ a b "El Luna Park pasó a manos de la Iglesia" [Luna Park was handed to the Church]. Perfil. 16 September 2013. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- ^ a b Denunciaron a la Iglesia por defraudación: la acusan de una maniobra para quedarse con un negocio en dólares del Luna Park by Federico Fahsbender on Infobae, 19 Jul 20233
- ^ Estadio Luna Park (Luna Park Stadium), www.lunapark.com.ar, 28 October 2022 (in Spanish). Retrieved on 28 October 2022
- ^ "Entrada Ticket Boxeo Luna Park / Locche Vs Heair / Año 1975 – $ 200,00". mercadolibre.com.ar. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-535685648-entrada-ticket-boxeo-luna-park-corro-vs-ronnie-harris-1978-[permanent dead link],
- ^ "Entrada Ticket Boxeo Luna Park / Laciar Vs Ibarra / 1981 – $ 250,00". mercadolibre.com.ar. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "Carlos Monzon vs. Tony Mundine – BoxRec". boxrec.com. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "Omar Andres Narvaez vs. William Urina – BoxRec". boxrec.com. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "BoxRec – event". boxrec.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "El Mundo en Orbyt – Suscripción digital online". elmundo.es. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "Intercontinental Cup 1976". linguasport.com. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^ "Adios, Tito" [Goodbye, Tito]. Gente. 2 March 2002. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- ^ Herrera, Sebastián (15 February 2011). "Luna Park: el Palacio de los Deportes" [Luna Park: the Palacio de los Deportes]. Eterna Buenos Aires. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
- ^ "Murió "Tito" Lectoure, el alma del Luna Park" [He died, "Tito" Lectoure, the soul of Luna Park]. La Nación. 3 January 2003. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
- ^ El Luna Park ahora es de la Iglesia at La Nación
External links
edit
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None
|
FIBA Basketball World Cup Venue 1950 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by None
|
Pan American Games Basketball Tournament Venue 1951 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | FIBA Intercontinental Cup Final Venue 1976 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship Final Venue 1982 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | FIBA Basketball World Cup Final Venue 1990 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship Final Venue 2002 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by University Sports Hall
Wuppertal |
Artistic Skating World Championship Venue 2003 |
Succeeded by Fresno Convention Center
Fresno |