Estadio Luna Park

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.

For any of the amusement parks of the same name, see Luna Park; for any other use of the term, see Luna Park (disambiguation).
Estadio Luna Park
Aerial view of the venue in 2016
Former namesEstadio de Corrientes y Bouchard (planning/construction)
AddressAvenida Madero 420
C1106ABE Buenos Aires
Argentina
LocationSan Nicolás neighborhood, Buenos Aires
Coordinates34°36′08″S 58°22′07″W
Public transit at Leandro N. Alem
at Correo Central
OwnerSociedad Salesiana de San Juan Bosco and Cáritas Argentina
OperatorTime For Fun
Capacity8,400[1]
Construction
Broke ground1931
Opened6 February 1932 (1932-02-06)
Renovated1934, 1951–52, 2006–08
Construction costAR$2 million
ArchitectJorge Kálnay
Structural engineerMariani Hnos
General contractorWestley Williams y Cía
Website
Venue Website

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,[2] Hugo Corro,[3] Santos Laciar,[4] Carlos Monzón,[5] Omar Narvaez,[6] Juan Roldán, Julio César Vásquez[7] 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[8] and the 1976 Basketball Intercontinental Cup in which Real Madrid won the competition.[9]

The arena also hosted the Six Days of Buenos Aires cycle race.

History

At 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.[10] With the decline of Luna Park, Pace envisioned creating a sports arena in the likes of Madison Square Garden and the Berliner 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).

Opening February 1932 as an opening air venue and carnival. The arena hosted a boxing match every Saturday, with 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.[11]

In 2007, the arena was declared a National Historic Monument.[12] After 80 years, the Lectoure family no longer owned the historic venue. After the death of Tito's wife, Ernestina Devecchi de Lectoure (in 2013), ownership of the arena was transferred to Sociedad Salesiana de San Juan Bosco and Cáritas Argentina.[13]

Recordings

References
  1. Estadio Luna Park (Luna Park Stadium), www.lunapark.com.ar, 28 October 2022 (in Spanish). Retrieved on 28 October 2022
  2. "Entrada Ticket Boxeo Luna Park / Locche Vs Heair / Año 1975 – $ 200,00". mercadolibre.com.ar. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  3. http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.ar/MLA-535685648-entrada-ticket-boxeo-luna-park-corro-vs-ronnie-harris-1978-%5B%5D,
  4. "Entrada Ticket Boxeo Luna Park / Laciar Vs Ibarra / 1981 – $ 250,00". mercadolibre.com.ar. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  5. "Carlos Monzon vs. Tony Mundine – BoxRec". boxrec.com. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  6. "Omar Andres Narvaez vs. William Urina – BoxRec". boxrec.com. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  7. "BoxRec – event". boxrec.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  8. "El Mundo en Orbyt – Suscripción digital online". elmundo.es. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  9. "Intercontinental Cup 1976". linguasport.com. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  10. "Adios, Tito" [Goodbye, Tito]. Gente. 2 March 2002. Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  11. 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.
  12. "Murió "Tito" Lectoure, el alma del Luna Park" [He died, "Tito" Lectoure, the soul of Luna Park]. La Nación. 3 January 2003. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  13. "El Luna Park pasó a manos de la Iglesia" [Luna Park was handed to the Church]. Perfil. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2015.

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