By Rogelio Salmona
The construction of Torres del Parque began in 1968 and was completed in 1970. Between 1964 and the start of the project, there was a period of uncertainty, doubts, and successive trials to find the right form for the project, not only from an architectural perspective but also from urban and landscape points of view.
The site, characterized by its overwhelming topography, the Plaza de Toros, the abandoned Parque de la Independencia (for over 15 years), and the magnificent panoramic view of the foothills, still untouched by the multitude of towers and dense buildings, invasions, and senseless occupations of the area, should not only be taken into account in the development of the project but, above all, be exalted through architecture that is implemented in such a correct and sensitive manner that it transforms and shapes the city. It should be the heartbeat of the place and a meeting point between reason, enchantment, and poetry. Between clarity and magic, an architecture that can be discovered, that doesn't impose itself, as it is more beautiful when discovered with surprise, like discovering nature. Ultimately, an architecture that integrates with the existing Plaza de Toros and allows transparency between the city and its foothills, reclaiming the steep street adjacent to Parque de la Independencia and transforming it into a pedestrian garden formed by stairways and ramps connected to the residential complex and the park.
A fundamental criterion in the conception of the architectural complex implied that it should be open, as befits the idea of a city that is democratic, tolerant, and rich in public spaces, designed for the enjoyment of its citizens.
Indeed, the project was implemented on the site, composed, and established itself (despite prejudices) in a way that would be embraced by all inhabitants of the city. In fact, nowadays, any citizen can explore the residential complex, traverse it, and if they wish, enjoy it, just as one would enjoy a public space, even though it may be privately owned. It has no fences, it does not confine its residents. It is part of the city.
It was clear that a project aiming to be transformative, both aesthetically and spatially, in a particular area could not be limited exclusively to that area. It should also be conceived as a landmark for the entire city, as every architectural work should be: an intelligent synthesis of experiences, knowledge, passions, and nostalgia, shaping a cultural event that not only improves the public space of the city but also contributes to its creation and establishes a generous and harmonious transition with the private space.
When a work manages to re-create, preserve, integrate, and extend fragments of the city, enriching the public space and the urban landscape, it transcends being a mere construction to become an architectural achievement that can be admired over time. This was precisely the intention in composing the Residential Complex of the Park: to create a project that, through its formal and environmental qualities, could evoke emotions, provide the city with a renewed and socially active space, and reclaim the forgotten and damaged Parque de la Independencia and its adjacent street.
More than an architectural project, it was about provoking a resounding urban event: the renewal of a sector and the transformation of the urban landscape, showcasing the natural scenery; making it transparent through architecture; using a dominant local material and creating an appropriate density for effective occupation. Unlike other arts, architecture, substantially abstract yet materially utilitarian, is conditioned by events and the context of which it is a part. One of its characteristics is that it must have a clear concept of reality, meaning it must be able to evaluate its own essence; to draw from the depths of its own culture and geography the most suitable solutions for needs and behaviors. Architecture should not separate itself from its time or its people. But it should go beyond that.
It must propose spaces that evoke emotions, that are grasped not only through sight but also through aroma and touch, through silence and sound, brightness and shadow, and transparency that is traversed and allows for the discovery of surprising spaces. Allowing for surprising occurrences such as reflections and shadows, transparencies, and visual escapes, unity in diversity was as essential in the project's conception as its functionality.
Given the topographic characteristics of Bogotá and the sector, the constant ascending and descending equally compelled the composition of a coherent building that would elicit enjoyment and emotion from pedestrians or its own inhabitants as they traverse and experience the architecture. The foregrounds of the buildings, their forms, and volumes, were organized to create continuity between the interior of the complex and the exterior, between the communal and public spaces. The significant changes in ground level were leveraged in the composition so that there is a continuity of planes, staircases, gardens, and terraces from the lowest part of the "Calle de las Escalinatas" to the top floors of the buildings.
The goal was to create an architectural project that surpassed the limits of its own program and proposed a pedestrian-scale base composed of plazas, gardens, sidewalks, lighting, trees, a distinctive silhouette, and building terminations that would be perceived differently from various points in the city. The aim was to establish an aesthetic relationship between the citizen and the architecture—a relationship that would evolve and change as proximity and distance unfolded, especially as one entered and traversed the architectural space. These variations would enrich the senses while maintaining a sense of contained unity. These ideas, as outlined, were the main determining factors in an architectural composition that needed approval from both the project contracting entity and the official authorities. Convincing them to embrace the concept of an "open project" was not an easy task. The notion of "security" takes precedence over any other aspect and results in an urban fabric characterized by enclosed spaces. The fluidity and continuity that exist in the city gradually diminish as these gated and guarded "closed complexes" proliferate.
The city is losing its essence as an open space that fosters coexistence, solidarity, and encounters for the entire community. The Residential Complex of the Park sought to demonstrate that it was possible (and it was) to propose architectural and spatial concepts for Bogotá that contradicted the trend towards enclosure, the neglect of the landscape, luminosity, or the attributes of materials. It aimed to make the city once again, as Gaston Bachelard said, "our corner that preserves the memories and emotions of the world." It also aimed to reconsider the city as a collection of open spaces, both generating architecture and being generated by it, eliminating the residual spaces and places that have caused so much harm to Colombian cities and returning it to its true raison d'être: to produce joy and pleasure when inhabiting it.
Reducing the density of the project was not easy either. The regulations allowed for a higher density that contradicted the site analysis. Greater occupation and taller buildings would have closed off the transparency to the city and its panoramic views, hindering a good relationship between the built and the unbuilt. Similarly, the unconventional forms of the architectural composition, resulting not from whim but from the analysis of the site with its specific characteristics (sunlight, topography, luminosity, surroundings), and the way the architecture would reveal itself from different visual angles and perspectives posed serious problems of composition or interpretation.
It is not easy to "see" architecture presented through drawings or models. It requires a certain degree of initiation and knowledge of its history, which should be a subject of study in high school if we truly want to improve the appearance and quality of Colombian cities once and for all. The city is made by its inhabitants. This understanding of architecture is the result of a continuous process of design and theoretical exploration, a work through which we attempt to capture (without fully achieving it) the dream of humankind to create their place.
In summary, the Residential Complex of the Park has been in existence for 30 years. Time has shown that it was possible to dream of an architectural complex open to the city, with high density but with appropriate occupancy. It was also possible, despite the criticisms, to compose and construct it with a dominant material on its facades. The unity and variety of the project are the result of infinite patience in choosing and selecting the most suitable responses in accordance with the site, geography, and environment, with the material that has its own attributes and formal requirements, but above all with the architectural project itself, which demands rigor, clarity, measure, and harmony to achieve an enriched habitability through its own spatiality, varied forms, luminosity, and material reflections, scales, and dimensions, offering the city a respectful, harmonious, and beautiful work.
Architect: Rogelio Salmona Location: Bogotá, Colombia Area: 66.000 m2 Date: 1965-1970 References: Fundación Rogelio Salmona, Arquitour Photography: Flickr users: Alex Obonaga, sbstnchïng, SLRookie, EstudioBLAU, GerOh!, alejo ache, Felipe W, Elisa Izquierdo, Fundación Rogelio Salmona
