In contemporary train stations, architectural pursuits associated with innovation and modernity tend to predominate. We often glorify designs with clean lines and gleaming glass buildings that showcase advancements in technology and engineering. Yet, classicism and styles that endure the passage of time—with their solid materials and sculptural details—possess a certain allure. Within their familiar forms, defined by order and symmetry, lies something that allows us to connect with the past.
South American train stations may seem like an unlikely place to find traces of classical architecture. And yet, there they are. Considering that ancient Andean civilizations were characterized by the construction of incredible stone temples and exquisite Incan cultural centers built from adobe, how did European building traditions filter into these regions?
South America is neither historically nor physically linked to Roman and Greek heritage. Nevertheless, several stations built across Latin America are, in fact, architectural gems that forge a link between these two worlds.
