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Rogelio Salmona: The Latest Architecture and News

Architecture Classics: Torres del Parque / Rogelio Salmona

Architecture Classics: Torres del Parque / Rogelio Salmona - Offices
Flickr user: sbstnchïng. Used under Creative Commons

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.

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.

Urban Sketchers Bogotá Pay Tribute to Architect Rogelio Salmona

Architect Mayerlly Cuta along with the architect and visual artist Carlos Alberto Hernández founded Urban Sketchers Bogotá," a worldwide movement of drawing that promotes the practice of drawing in Bogota streets, capturing real-time life in the city.

From October 24 to November 9, an exhibition was held in homage to architect Rogelio Salmona. According to Cuta, they sought to commemorate the architect 11 years after his death by drawing his present works in the city of Bogotá. "As managers, we began to draw and promote his works. Later converting them into an exhibition. The Colombian Society of Architects and the Rogelio Salmona Foundation joined the project, leading to the Drawing to Salmona Call. This call brought together more than 100 people and collected more than 300 drawings that came from different cities in the country and the world."