The photography exhibit «Urban Evolution: Building Guatemala in the 20th Century,» sponsored by Carlos F. Novella Museum and Carlos F. Novella Foundation, is being held at University of San Carlos of Guatemala’s School of Architecture.
The exhibit showcases images of buildings built with concrete during the first half of the 20th century and their current state of preservation. These buildings, avant-garde and modern in their time, now represent a legacy of various architectural styles in Guatemala City’s Historic Center.
Between December 1917 and January 1918, a series of earthquakes devastated Guatemala City, destroying much of its infrastructure.
Few buildings survived this natural disaster, and several were built with reinforced concrete.
This material’s high resilience led to its widespread adoption in buildings during the city’s reconstruction program during the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s
During the exhibit’s inaugural event, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Carlos F. Novella Foundation and Farusac
This agreement means to strengthen aims to strengthen the Faculty of Architecture’s activities by having Farusac and the Foundation jointly work on promotion efforts.
The «Urban Evolution: Building Guatemala in the 20th Century» exhibit not only celebrates the city’s resilience and architectural progress but also fosters academic and professional joint efforts for Guatemala’s future urban development.
This presentation is a testament to the lasting impact of concrete on Guatemalan architecture and serves as a platform to strengthen the connection between education and professional practice in the field of architecture.
