Laura Sáenz

Laura Sáenz / Arquitecta de la Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano de Bogotá desde 2016 / Sus intereses están enfocados en las relaciones que entabla la arquitectura y la ciudad, con el desarrollo de patrones de habitabilidad de los espacios, en términos sociales y desde el arte.

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Architecture Classics: Colpatria TO / Obregón y Valenzuela & Cía. Ltda.

Considered a heritage of the modern movement in Colombia, the Colpatria Tower rises in the San Diego sector of the renowned International Center of Bogotá. With 50 floors and a height of 196 meters, it was the tallest building in the country for many years until the construction of the BD Bacatá in 2016, also in Bogotá. The implementation of innovative construction techniques and its location at the intersection of two major arterial roads of the capital - Carrera Séptima and Avenida El Dorado (Calle 26) - made it an architectural landmark of the city. Its sober and assertive design contributed an unprecedented pattern to the urban profile in the 1970s.

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Architecture Classics: Gabriel García Márquez Cultural Center / Rogelio Salmona

The Centro Cultural García Márquez is an iconic building located in downtown Bogotá. Its sinuous forms and the dialogue it establishes between time and place are perceptible at various scales. The project was initiated by the Fondo de Cultura Económica de México in 2004 as a cultural contribution by its Colombian branch. Designed by Rogelio Salmona, unfortunately, he passed away in October 2007, a year before its completion in 2008.

Named in honor of the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature Gabriel García Márquez, the project is situated in Bogotá's La Candelaria neighborhood, just one block east of Plaza de Bolívar. This strategic location creates a cultural hub, interconnecting with several neighboring buildings including the Luis Ángel Arango Library, the Banco de la República Museum, 29 university entities, 24 educational institutions, 7 libraries, and a complex of museums and cultural collectives. According to the FCE, it attracts approximately 8,000 users per day.

Architecture Classics: Gabriel García Márquez Cultural Center / Rogelio Salmona  - Cultural CenterArchitecture Classics: Gabriel García Márquez Cultural Center / Rogelio Salmona  - Cultural CenterArchitecture Classics: Gabriel García Márquez Cultural Center / Rogelio Salmona  - Cultural CenterArchitecture Classics: Gabriel García Márquez Cultural Center / Rogelio Salmona  - Cultural CenterArchitecture Classics: Gabriel García Márquez Cultural Center / Rogelio Salmona  - More Images+ 24

Architecture Classics: Virgilio Barco Library / Rogelio Salmona

Located in the Teusaquillo neighborhood, in the northeastern sector of Bogotá, the Virgilio Barco Library forms a complex integrated by the Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park and the Virgilio Barco Library Park. The consolidation of the social, recreational, and cultural development center displays the library a particular approach between the built work and the natural capital environment. Through its tour, it progressively reveals the solution of a program designed to form a cultural and landscape ensemble omitting its position within the city.

Recognized as one of Rogelio Salmona's emblematic works, its circular forms open to the environment attract between 60,000 and 65,000 visitors a month. Initially, it was to be called the Simón Bolívar Park Library, due to its proximity to the metropolitan park, but because of the patronage it received from former Colombian president Virgilio Barco, it ended up taking his name.