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.