Floralis Generica

As you enter the 4-hectare Plaza de las Naciones Unidas, aka United Nations Square, you can’t miss the stunning Floralis Generica, a colossal metallic flower that sits in the center of a small artificial lake. Designed by Argentinian architect Eduardo Catalano, it’s a true marvel of engineering, its petals blooming each morning and closing at night.The sculpture is in constant rotation to face the sun’s position in the sky. According to the artist, it represents hope, reborn each day as the flower blooms again. Unfortunately, during its installation here by an aeronautics company, one of the petals was incorrectly mounted, causing the entire mechanism to malfunction. Catalano tried to warn them against this, but the matter dragged on and the company left the country. The 23-meter-high sculpture thus slowly fell into disrepair. It functioned from 2002 to 2010, before its petals closed for good. It took five years before the decision was made to repair it, and after a year of hard work, the beautiful Floralis bloomed once more. Today, it stands as a symbol of its city’s forward-thinking spirit.