Costa Rica's Architectural Heritage Contest Winner
Costa Rica's Steinvorth building, a two-story brick, more than century-old building in downtown San Jose, was awarded ₡ 100 million (nearly $200,000) for a makeover.
The building, located 50 meters north of the Wendy's restaurant on Avenida Central, beat out eight other buildings to win the prize in the Culture Ministry's annual Save Our Architectural Heritage contest.
The money will be used to restore the structure's original architecture and convert the building into a mixed-use facility that will include apartments as well as Costa Rica businesses.
At present, the building hosts several stores on the first floor and a cafe and bar on the second floor. The bar, open until 2 a.m., opened in 2009 and spins an array of music throughout the week.
The Steinvorth building was completed in 1907 by Otto Steinvorth, a German immigrant. During World War II, the building was a popular meeting place for ethnic Germans living in Costa Rica. Claiming it was a center for supporters of Adolph Hitler and the Nazis, the Costa Rican government took over the building during the war.
In the 1950s, a Steinvorth descendant reclaimed the building.
The Save Our Architectural Heritage contest has contributed funds to the restoration of historic buildings throughout Costa Rica 1997.
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