El Edificio Steinvorth
El Edificio Steinvorth, también llamado Almacén Steinvorth, es un inmueble de dos pisos ubicado en San José, Costa Rica. Construido en 1907 por el italiano Francesco Tenca Pedrazzini, por encargo de los hermanos Wilhem, Walter y Otto Steinvorth Ulex, comerciantes alemanes radicados en Costa Rica en 1872.
Se encuentra ubicado entre la Avenida Central de San José, en el cruce de la esquina noroeste de esta avenida con la calle 1. Durante su época de mayor esplendor y hasta el estallido de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, que marcó su decadencia, fue uno de los almacenes más importantes de esta capital, donde se podían adquirir principalmente productos importados. Actualmente, se le considera una de las principales joyas arquitectónicas de la capital costarricense por su particular arquitectura, donde se combina la corriente estética europea de entonces con la naciente modernidad arquitectónica que predominaba en las ciudades de los Estados Unidos. Es patrimonio arquitectónico de este país centroamericano desde 1999.
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Built by Otto Steinvorth in 1907, the Steinvorth building imitates stone masonry construction. It has a series of fine sculptural details on its facade, as well as steel and glass elements of clear European influence.
Otto Steinvorth was a German businessman, who ran one of the most important foreign import warehouses in the city at the turn of the 20th century. Back then, no steel or industrial activity existed in Costa Rica, and most merchandise was imported from abroad. The Steinvorth enterprise had a warehouse inside this building, which originally took up most of the block.
During World War II, Steinvorth was deported to the United States, his properties and merchandise were seized by the government. His heirs later recovered the warehouse and had it declared a Historical Building. But by the time it was intervened for preservation, a large part had been demolished and sold for other purposes.
What was left of the building was restored, and currently functions as offices and a bar.
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