This famous architect died before finishing his last building. Then his son stepped in to help

The final project of César Pelli—the architect behind major buildings such as San Francisco’s Salesforce Tower, Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers, and Los Angeles’s Pacific Design Center—has been completed. But unlike these large-scale skyscrapers and monumental buildings that catapulted him to fame, it’s a modestly sized space that melts into the landscape. For Pelli, who died in 2019 at the age of 92, it’s a poignant final work for both its location and for its subject matter. Located in northwestern Argentina, the museum is dedicated fully to Lola Mora (1886–1936), a Beaux Arts sculptor who was one of Argentina’s most famous artists before a conservative government ended her career. The Lola Mora Cultural Center has been designed to display her most significant works: six marble sculptures depicting human virtues that were created to stand outside Argentina’s National Congress building in Buenos Aires. Located in the provincial capital of San Salvador de Jujuy, not far from the city where both Mora and Pelli were born, the museum frames these sculptures and brings Mora’s nearly forgotten story to life. [Photo: Jason O’Rear for Pelli Clarke & Partners] “César was really thrilled by…