Patagonia this week announced a “milestone” for its brand, unveiling a historic site that will serve as its very first location in the mountainous region for which it was named. Casa Frey, located in Bariloche, Argentina, had once been the home of explorer, conservationist, and the director of South America’s first national park, Emilio Frey.
Since it went up for sale in 2014, the 6-acre property was under threat of being demolished to make way for condominiums — until the Ventura, Calif., company stepped in.
The company bought the house and hired local experts to oversee the lakefront property’s renovation — including its famed garden and roses, and nearby buildings.
Patagonia lauded Casa Frey as part store, part museum, and company founder, Yvon Chouinard, was on hand to celebrate the opening.
“This land inspired me to create the company, and four years ago, we started looking for a place to open a store in Bariloche,” Chouinard said at a media event to announce the opening. “I didn’t know Emilio Frey’s story, but when I learned that he was one of Argentina’s first skiers and mountaineers, with such a strong legacy in conservation and love for nature, there was no doubt.”
More Than a Store
Emilio Frey was an Argentine geographer and one of the country’s first environmental advocates. His descendants had been looking for a buyer who would conserve the 1916 home, known as “Los Cipreses” or “Casa Frey.”
“When Patagonia revealed their plans for Los Cipreses, it was a relief to see how beautiful it was,” said Isabelle Bovey, Frey’s granddaughter. “It perfectly matched our dream. They weren’t going to destroy anything; the abandoned garden was going to flourish again. So, like in a children’s story, you could say it all ended well.”
Chouinard said that his wife insists every new Patagonia store must add value to the community and serve as a gathering space. The store, Patagonia’s 14th location in Latin America, offers on-site garment repair with its Worn Wear brand, an event space for workshops and talks, and a marketplace for organic producers.
For all its history, however, Casa Frey is not a unique undertaking for Patagonia. The brand said it often restores historic buildings using local materials in its retail locations worldwide, including in Alexandria, Va., and in Portland, Ore.
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