Main House
The Jockey Club Main House is located at 1345 Alvear Avenue, in one of the most elegant corners of the city of Buenos Aires. The house, in its present state, is the result of the integration of two mansions: the one with its entrance on Alvear Avenue, inaugurated in 1968, and another one facing Cerrito Street, which was acquired in 1981. Thanks to their styles, both are outstanding examples of the eclectic architecture that was so much in vogue in our city duringthe final years of the 19th century and the first three decades of the 20th.
Because of this integration, the interior of the residence has a very special layout, especially due to the need to adapt the spaces to the slope produced by the steep incline of Cerrito Street. Therefore, to make it easier for those who enter the house for the first time, to walk through and recognize it the following brief description is divided in accordance with the different entrances to the building.
Main entrance: Av. Alvear 1345
Ground Floor: Upon entering the club, members are greeted by the Diana de Falguière, a sculpture that, as we have already mentioned, has become a sort of symbol of the Institution. To the left, we find the checkroom and the elevators that provide access to the upper floors. Through wide doors, you reach a large reception hall, which communicates with the dining room and several lounges, among them the Belgrano and Dorado Rooms, which have bar service and can be used by members for private receptions. The conditions, available dates and fees for these special reservations should be consulted at the Club’s Administration Office.
The dining room, whose large windows offer a magnificent view of the garden and the fountains that decorate it, has a capacity for 120 guests. It offers lunch and dinner service and members may attend with a maximum of four guests.
On the same floor is the members-only bar and the Florida lounge, where you can also see the gardens and access the terrace. On one of the walls of the lounge, we find the original main door of the Club’s headquarters on Florida Street between 1897 and 1953, as well as the municipal plate with the number 571, which corresponded to the entrance of that house. Members may be accompanied by ladies.
First Floor: The Administration Office and an annex of the gaming rooms with exclusive access for members are located on this level.
Second Floor: The Presidency and the offices of the Club authorities are in the wing facing the gardens, which include: General Secretariat, Treasury, Chairman of the Racing Committee, Chairman and Meeting Room of the Internal Affairs Committee and Meeting Room of the Board of Directors. Very close to these rooms is the Congrève Room, a cozy area which, with its adjacent Roman-style covered patio, can also be used by members for private meals or receptions. The Library is located in the section of the floor that opens onto Alvear Avenue, and can also be reached by the monumental staircase that starts from the reception area on the ground floor. It is worth mentioning that, with its collection of more than 100,000 volumes, the Jockey Club Library is considered one of the most important private libraries in the country, representing a true source of pride for all the members of the institution.
The bust of Pellegrini, sculpted in Carrara marble in 1900 by Félix Coutan, and the bronze bust of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, signed by Víctor de Pol, preside over the reading rooms. The former is located in its natural setting, since the Library was renamed “Carlos Pellegrini” in 1921. On the other hand, Sarmiento’s bust, represents a well-deserved tribute to the hero who was the driving force behind the development of libraries in our country.
The area is also enhanced by the exhibition of a handwritten copy of our National Anthem, in its complete version, written in the handwriting of Vicente López y Planes himself, whose portrait, drawn by Carlos Morel, heads the precious document. The latest works received by purchases or donations are displayed on a novelties table to make them known and facilitate their consultation by the public.
The main national and foreign newspapers and magazines are exhibited on other tables, and the works written by the Club’s members are also highlighted in a special spot. Likewise, thematic exhibitions are held periodically to allow a fuller knowledge of the rich bibliographic heritage of the Club. Members can also access material through digital and mobile devices.
It should be noted that the Library is currently in the process of computerizing its collection, which also has an important multimedia center with internet access. Members who wish to visit the Library for study purposes may request authorization to do so. This is the continuation of an old tradition imposed by the Club’s authorities, who have always facilitated the access of Argentine and foreign researchers to the important collection of books that has been gathered over the years and which is always being updated.
Third Floor: The Chess Room is located on this floor, which has a specialized library and computer equipment for the analysis and learning of this discipline. Members who aspire to improve their game or improve their style can take classes with the Master in charge.
During the year, internal and interclub tournaments are held in this room, with the participation of representatives of different related institutions. Some administrative offices are also located on this floor: Interior Management, General Secretary’s Office, Legal Counsel’s Office, Library Management and Technical Office.
Fourth Floor: On this floor are the game rooms and the snooker billiard room. Tournaments in different categories are held in both sectors, the most important of which - internally - is the Annual Truco (an ancient national Spanish cards game) Tournament, and in the interclub modality, the Bridge Tournament. On the same floor is the Television Room (with reception of coded soccer matches).
The bar in the sector provides service to the different facilities mentioned above. All these facilities may be visited in smart casual clothes.
Fifth Floor: It includes a small Gym, with directed group classes; Squash, where tournaments are also held throughout the year, and the Boxing Room, under the supervision of a professional boxer. Karate and Tae Kwon Do classes are held in the same area. Finally, there is the Solarium, which has a bar service.
Access through Cerrito 1464
Lobby: Different administrative offices are located here, such as the Cashier’s Office and the Reception Desk, where procedures related to the payment of membership fees, obtaining credentials and letters of introduction, etc., are carried out. The Stud Book Argentino offices are also accessed through this entrance. The Anasagasti Hall is on the same floor. It is the natural seat of the Cultural Cycle which takes place between March and November with lectures, concerts and theatrical performances. With a capacity for 150 spectators, this multi-purpose hall also allows the organization of receptions and, in this sense, can be reserved by members.
In addition, in this sector on Cerrito Street is located the Bustillo Room (Racing Library), where the specialized bibliography on horse racing and thoroughbred racing is concentrated. The Bistro Restaurant has been operating precisely in this room since October 2012. Moving towards the other part of the house (which corresponds to the basement of the sector entered through Alvear Avenue) we find the hairdressing salon, the manicure room, the bar and the dining room of the basement, areas where visitors are allowed to wear casual clothes.
Passing through this dining room you enter the Bath Department, which with a sauna, Turkish and Finnish baths, relaxation room, showers, sun bed, heated swimming pool, massage room, pedicure, kinesiology and hairdressing. All of these facilities offer bar service and fast food. Finally, we arrive at a second and much bigger gymnasium, which is equipped with computerized and weight training machines, and whose activity is supervised by physical education teachers. On the opposite side of the Baths Department is the Weapons Room, where internal and interclub fencing tournaments are held. The sector has teachers who teach this traditional sport to members and children of members.
First Floor:
Here we find the French and Rivadavia Rooms, decorated in different and elegant styles and overlooking both the gardens and Cerrito Street. The Chinese Room, with direct access to the gardens and the terrace, completes this floor.
This sector is directly connected to the Florida Room, thus communicating with the ground floor of the house facing Alvear Avenue. Thus,
the Club’s reception areas are thus fully integrated, which, like all areas of the house, are decorated with rich tapestries, objets d’art, significant sculptures by Pigalle, Rodin, Boudelle, Coutan and Zorrilla de San Martín, and paintings by renowned artists such as Melchior Hondecoeter, Robert Tournier, Louis Michel Van Loo, Sir Thomas Lawrence, François Flameng, Émile Menard, Lucien Simon, Sanchez de San Martín, and paintings by renowned artists such as Melchior Hondecoeter, Robert Tournier, Louis Michel Van Loo, Sir Thomas Lawrence, François Flameng, Émile Menard, Lucien Simon, Sánchez Barbudo, Prilidiano Pueyrredón, Quirós, Bermúdez and Malinverno.
Second Floor: The offices of the Culture Committee and the authorities of the Argentine Stud Book, as well as the meeting room of the Racing Committee are located on this floor. The space is complemented with administrative offices of the Stud Book and rooms for the attention of those who come to carry out procedures at the Stud Book.
Third Floor: This is the area where the Argentine Stud Book’s computer center, offices and archives are located.
Entrance through Cerrito 1478
This entrance corresponds to the building’s garage, which has three parking floors and capacity for 75 vehicles. The parking lot, for which a fee is charged, is exclusively for members. From the Alvear Avenue area, the garage can be accessed by going down to the second basement.
