If you’ve ever walked down Avenida Cabildo near Colegiales, you’ve probably passed just a few steps away from Pasaje General Paz without even realizing it. It’s practically right next to one of Buenos Aires’ busiest avenues, yet it moves at a different pace.
In 2026, the passageway will celebrate its 100th anniversary. It was designed in 1925 by engineer and architect Pedro A. Vinent (the same man who created the Central Pavilion for the Centennial Exposition) based on the concept of “collective housing.” At the time, it was conceived as a brighter and more elegant alternative to the typical Buenos Aires tenements. Today, it’s one of those hidden corners that don’t appear on many maps, which explains why so many people are unaware of it even though they live or work just around the corner.
The contrast is the first thing that strikes you. On Cabildo Avenue, there are buses and honking horns. Just walk a few meters toward its entrances—which connect Ciudad de la Paz and Zapata streets—and the noise subsides and the scale shifts: from the wide avenue to a monumental semicircular arch that frames an urban oasis of 57 apartments.
What to look for when you step into this century-old passageway
The passageway features details that invite you to walk slowly, and none of these elements stands alone; its charm lies in their combination, which gives it the distinct feel of an Andalusian courtyard:
- Its iron bridges: Located on the second and third floors, they connect the building’s wings and give it a unique, old-postcard look.
- The floor and walls: The checkerboard-patterned tiles (black and white) and the pillars clad in majolica are a fundamental part of the complex.
- The living design: Galleries framing the walkway, flowerpots hanging from the balconies, vintage streetlamps, and benches attached to the walls.
- Anecdotal history: Over the decades, its facing galleries have been the setting for numerous events, but today, that bohemian spirit lives on and is home to pottery studios (in fact, it is the chosen home of many artists and cultural figures).
How to Visit It
Although it was originally a public thoroughfare, in the 1970s the passageway closed off its entrances with an iron fence to become a private complex. As a result, visitors cannot walk freely through it.
However, you can peek through the railings (located on Ciudad de la Paz or Zapata, between Olleros and Maure) and take in all the beauty of the corridor. Since it doesn’t appear on many maps, locate it before heading out by using Cabildo as a reference point.
