Construyendo memoria: el archivo inédito de Carmen Renard y las redes transatlánticas de arquitectas (1920–1970) Building Memory: The Unpublished Archive of Carmen Renard and the Transatlantic Networks of Women Architects (1920–1970)

This chapter examines the unpublished archive of the Argentine architect Carmen Renard (1915–2002) as a historiographical and methodological lens through which to reconsider the role of women architects in the construction of modern architecture in Argentina and the transatlantic professional networks that connected Europe and Latin America between 1920 and 1970. Drawing on archival theory developed by Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, and Joan M. Schwartz and Terry Cook, the study conceptualizes the archive not as a neutral repository but as a site where power, memory, and historical narratives are actively produced. Through the systematic analysis of Renard’s recently recovered archival fonds—comprising architectural drawings, correspondence, teaching materials, photographs, and professional documentation—the chapter reconstructs her professional trajectory while revealing the collaborative, institutional, and international dimensions of her practice. Renard’s education at the University of Buenos Aires and Columbia University, her participation in the reconstruction of San Juan after the 1944 earthquake, her contribution to the Juan Victoria Auditorium, and her academic career illustrate the intersections of gender, professionalization, and transnational knowledge circulation. The chapter further situates her work within broader networks of women architects operating across Argentina, Europe, and Latin America, demonstrating that these figures played a significant yet largely overlooked role in shaping architectural modernity. By integrating archival research with feminist historiography, the study argues that recovering women’s archives is essential not only for expanding the architectural canon but also for critically reassessing the archival and historiographical practices that have historically marginalized their contributions. The chapter ultimately proposes the archive as a critical instrument for producing more inclusive and plural histories of modern architecture.