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In its half century of making outdoor gear, Patagonia has developed a reputation for doing things differently. That has looked like popularizing fleece and technical duffels, publishing ads telling people not to buy its products, and committing the entire value of the company to environmental causes. Add the company's latest South American retail location to the list—instead of setting up shop in a trendy neighborhood, Patagonia restored the historic home and gardens of a famous explorer in Bariloche, Argentina at the foot of the Patagonian Andes.
The building that is now Patagonia Bariloche, known in the region as "Casa Frey" or "Los Cipreses," was once the longtime home of Emilio Frey and his wife Rosa Schumacher. Educated in Switzerland as an engineer, Frey led expeditions into then-unexplored regions of Patagonia to map the area as part of attempts to settle border disputes between Argentina and Chile. He was named as the first superintendent of Nahuel Huapi National Park and established guidelines for how Argentina would manage all of its national parks. He also co-founded Club Andino Bariloche, Argentina's first alpine club.
Frey and Schumacher completed construction of Los Cipreses on its six-acre plot in 1916. An Italian friend, inspired by travels through Switzerland and Germany and knowing the couple's Swiss roots, built it in a chalet style entirely out of cypress (minus the larch shingles used for the roof). Over their 40 years living at Los Cipreses, the couple added just a small warehouse and woodshed to the property. Its gardens, with views extending out over Nahuel Huapi Lake, were well tended by Schumacher, who earned a local reputation for her roses.
Patagonia began looking for a suitable location for its first Bariloche location in 2021. “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," said Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia's founder.
Los Cipreses had been uninhabited for some time when Patagonia purchased it. To honor the property's legacy, the company committed itself to a careful restoration process that would preserve its historical character and honor the original construction materials. Local professionals used cypress and larch to address structural damages and employed period-appropriate techniques to do the work.
Patagonia describes the newly restored building as part store, part museum. Artifacts discovered during the process—including wooden skis, a pickaxe, and old photographs—hang above the house's main staircase and letters and documents are on display so customers can learn about Frey. The old outbuilding, rebuilt with reclaimed wood, is now a Worn Wear gear repair workshop and houses sewing machines and other equipment to keep clothing out of landfills. Even the outdoor space was brought back to bloom by expert gardeners.
In addition to retail and gear repair, Patagonia will host public events out of Casa Frey like film screenings and talks. Adding value to the communities they reside in, Chouinard said, is the goal of every Patagonia store.
Published 06-17-2025
