Building of the Mayor's Office

The building of the Mayor's Office of Cuenca belongs to the select group of patrimonial constructions that are the pride of the inhabitants of the city. Luis Donoso Barba built it for the headquarters of the Banco del Azuay, an entity that operated there from May 24, 1929 until its liquidation in 1999.

 

Due to the façade of this building, in addition to the façades of the Superior Court of Justice, the New Cathedral and other houses in the historical center, the city is known as the "city of marble".

 

In 2002, the Municipality of Cuenca received the building as a donation. It has an area of 2,500 m2. The ground floor is occupied by a gallery for artistic exhibitions. On the second floor there are the offices of the mayor, vice-mayor, the alternate room for the councillors, the secretary, the trade union and the financial management.

 

The neoclassical-style building, without an internal courtyard, has spacious halls connecting various rooms. On the second floor, the brass ceiling stands out. It is undoubtedly one of the best examples of the French influence on Cuenca's architecture in the early 20th century. Its architect fulfilled the intention of its owners: to reflect greatness, luxury and economic power.

 

The now disappeared Banco del Azuay was the first in Cuenca. Founded in 1913, in 1914 it became a pioneering entity when it printed the first Ecuadorian 1, 2, 5, 10 sucres banknotes.