Designing Tomorrow

A look at contemporary architecture in Latin America.

Words: TERRI DUNBAR-CURRAN

Sweeping curves, immense concrete spirals and almost fluid-looking glass facades. A variety of architectural masterpieces cut a curiously captivating silhouette against the forever-changing cityscapes and skylines of Latin America, thanks to a remarkable group of architects and designers.

Celebrated Rio de Janeiro-born architect Oscar Niemeyer is part of this group, and is known particularly for his work in Brasília and Rio de Janeiro. The latter is home to his Niterói Contemporary Art Museum which was completed in 1996, several decades into his career. The contemporary architecture of today was built using the innovation and scaffolding of the modern architecture of yesterday. Though vastly different, the thread running through both eras is an eye set firmly on the future.

Laying the foundations

Paving the way for creatives like Niemeyer were a series of architects who began laying the foundations for the explosion of modern architecture across Latin America. Among them was Gregori Warchavchik, who was born in Ukraine in 1896, and relocated to Brazil in 1923. His house in São Paulo, Casa da Rua Santa Cruz, which he built a few years after arriving, is thought to be one of the first modernist houses in the country. Its white cubic forms juxtaposed with a garden of tropical plants. Unsurprisingly, building structures that pushed the bounds of what had been done before didn’t come without challenges. These included getting approval for them in the first place, as well as the high costs of materials like cement and glass, and the technical training of the team doing the physical construction work.

Together with fellow architect and urban planner Lúcio Costa, he set up a studio in Rio de Janeiro in 1930, which would welcome the young architecture student Niemeyer. Another soon-to-be-big name who worked together with these ground-breaking young visionaries was Swiss architect Le Corbusier. And so, a new generation of thirty architects took the concept of European Modernism and transformed it into something uniquely Brazilian – taking full advantage of the scope that reinforced concrete offered them. As they worked and fed off each other’s creativity, the style evolved from its European inspiration into something new and exciting.

Go exploring and there’s a bounty of examples of early modern architecture to discover. Attilio Corrêa Lima’s 1938 construction, the Seaplane Station in Rio boasts an elegant concrete spiral staircase which was radically different from anything else seen in the city until then. Marcelo and Milton Roberto’s Brazilian Press Association Building in Rio was the first largescale modernist building constructed in Brazil and was cleverly designed to allow in plenty of natural light while also minimising the glare of the tropical sun.

In Mexico and Venezuela, the 1930s to 1950s were also a time of progress architecturally. Among the most notable works in Mexico were Spanish architect Felix Candela’s thin concrete shell structures, linking art and architecture inextricably to the Mexican aesthetic. One of the most important Venezuelan projects was the new University City of Caracas designed by Carlos Raúl Villanueva. This vast urban complex of 40 buildings is considered his masterpiece.

Blueprints of the future

The golden age of Latin American architecture was arguably from around 1929 to 1960. But that’s not to say there haven’t been some notable innovations and projects since then. The young Italian architects Ricardo Porro, Roberto Gottardi and Vittorio Garatti designed the schools of art, modern dance, music and dramatic arts in Havana, Cuba. However, the unexpected costs and the unusual designs brought with them allegations of waste and the project was halted in 1965. In 2011 the schools were finally declared to be national monuments and despite their unfinished state, they have inspired many other designers since. The United Nations Building in Santiago, Chile, was designed by Emilio Duhart and is considered a landmark of modern South American architecture. It was inspired by the works of Le Corbusier and its reinforced concrete structure gives a sense of simultaneous sturdiness and lightweightness. Most notable is the spiral at its centre which is a homage to pre-Columbian cultures. Look closely and you’ll see symbols engraved into the exterior of the spiral which tell the story of the region’s history.

As time advanced, the mathematical and geometric tradition of rational modernism began to see a revival with a new generation of architects making their mark on Argentina, inspired by those who went before them. One of the most notable works to come out of this revival was the Xul Solar Museum (1994–95) in Buenos Aires by Pablo Tomás Beitía. His aim was to transform Argentine artist Alejandro Xul Solar’s former housing complex into a cultural centre and art museum. The facade was kept intact, while the interiors were completely remodelled to align with the artist’s pictorial worldview. Concrete mezzanines appear to hover above wooden floors and old walls and staircases dissect the spaces, creating interesting backdrops for artworks and artefacts.

The sky is the limit

While the undulating concrete curves and cantilevered houses catapulted Latin American architecture into the future, a new wave of young architects and creatives are guiding it onwards and upwards. Enter Freddy Mamani Silvestre with his brightly coloured ballrooms, psychedelic ceilings and kaleidoscopic facades. This self-taught architect from a small Aymara community in Bolivia cements his Neo-Andean architectural style into every city he touches – as evidenced in El Alto. He’s inspired by geometric shapes from the past, ancient symbolism and pop sci-fi, injecting a heady mix of colour into monochromatic cityscapes.

His first project was for a client who gave him artistic freedom and welcomed his suggestion of a building inspired by Andean forms and colours, which would include a large hall for events. It wasn’t long before the former-brick layer’s bright facades were dubbed ‘cholets’ – a combination of chalet (large house) and chola (an indigenous woman). In the Aymara community celebration is important and as more people moved to the cities, they realised the existing spaces didn’t quite work for them. The extravagant, double-volume dance halls in his buildings are Mamani’s answer to that.

Despite the popularity his aesthetic has found, he’s apparently received some pushback from a few members of the architectural academic world. This is something his predecessors from the modernist days faced as well. Fortuitously for those who appreciate the idea of pushing boundaries, he continues to innovate despite the naysayers, as did those before him.

Breaking new ground

There’s a real need for architecture to go beyond just form and function. As we look to the future, it’s equally as important for architects and designers to incorporate sustainable solutions into their projects from the outset. The construction and building sectors have a role to play in the fight against climate change – and there’s already some good progress being made.

Spanish neo-futuristic architect Santiago Calatrava’s Museum of Tomorrow (2015) in Rio de Janeiro was recognised as one of the most innovative green buildings in the world at the MIPIM Awards in 2017. Water conservation, recycling and the use of solar energy are key elements of the building.

The innovative facade of the Eco Berrini Building (2011) in São Paulo, was designed by Aflalo/Gasperini Architects to optimise energy efficiency by using advanced insulation techniques to reduce energy consumption and lower greenhouse gas emissions. It also includes solar panels. And in Medellin, Colombia, the Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano building (2015) uses natural ventilation to reduce energy consumption.

Finally, stepping away from the gleaming city centre aesthetic, Roth-Architecture’s SFER IK (2018) sees art and architecture swirl into a gorgeous blend of creativity, spiritual heritage and nature in Tulum, Mexico. This art gallery, with its environmentally conscious design, invites visitors on a barefoot journey through organic spaces crafted from smooth polished cement and warm raw wood. Built around the trees, this museum feels like a living organism – a celebration of both ancient natural living and an, as yet uncharted, future.