Evento

Richard Economakis presents on the Civic Hall at Cayala, Guatemala City

The Civic Hall & New Town of Cayalá, Guatemala

Richard Economakis
Principal, Richard M. Economakis Architectural Design
and
Associate Professor, School of Architecture, University of Notre Dame

The Civic Hall is the first of a series of public edifices to be built in Cayalá, Guatemala, the acclaimed new town on the outskirts of Guatemala City. The development was masterplanned in 2003 by Leon Krier with Estudio Urbano, and its current plan includes a number of buildings by Richard Economakis, including the Civic Hall. The Hall serves as an exemplar of civic construction, harmonizing with the vernacular character of the surrounding buildings and standing out as a monumental set-piece. It makes deliberate reference to the two great historical cultures of Guatemala, the Mayan and Spanish, and is the first civic edifice in Guatemala to embrace the country's classical traditions since the mid-20th century.

As one of very few new civic buildings to be realized today, the Civic Hall serves as much more than a symbol for a new Guatemala; it is a reminder that the new classical and traditional architecture forms part of a broader urban vision, which involves the re-establishment of a humanely scaled, accessible, and dignified public realm. The project has received a 2013 Palladio Award and is featured in the June Issue of Traditional Building Magazine.

Supervising Architects: Pedro Godoy and Maria Sanchez, Estudio Urbano, Guatemala
Consulting Architect, Masterplanner: Leon Krier
Developer and Client: Grupo Cayalá, Guatemala