Dialogue cycle on modern architecture in Latin America

The first three Thursdays in May, the School of Architecture of the Universidad del Azuay organized a series of dialogues open to the public on modern architecture in Latin America with invited exhibitors from all over Latin America.

Thus, between Thursday 7 and Thursday 21, renowned professionals such as María Pía Fontana and Miguel Mayorga, from Colombia, passed through this space; María Augusta Hermida and Alexandra Kennedy, from Ecuador; Diego López de Haro, from Uruguay; Edson Mahfuz, from Brazil, and Claudia Rueda from Mexico.

The moderators were Professors Fernanda Aguirre and Ana Rodas.

“When, due to confinement, we had to restructure the contents of our subject -Seminar on Theory of Contemporary Architecture 1- which is dedicated to studying architecture in Latin America between 1930 and 1970, we realized that there was a lot of material that was it was out; It occurred to me then to rescue reflections that I would have liked to have in my university days that I discovered several years later, ”explains Aguirre.

This professor from the School of Architecture joined the Barcelona-based research group called FORM + five years ago and there she met the international exhibitors who make up the program.

“In the group, the research focuses on Modern Form with an intention towards Modern Architecture in Latin America. He has a history of more than 15 years doing research and training students to recognize the values ​​of modern architecture through works found on our continent. "

Aguirre explains that the dialogues sought to talk about works and architects, "but we wanted to do it through what modern architecture has brought to our cities and realize that they are values ​​that continue to be appropriate to our contemporary era"

The chosen themes were made available to the exhibitors so that they could build their own themes from their individuality.

The organizers of the initiative comment that the sessions on the Zoom platform have reached various corners of the continent because they have been contacted from different latitudes to request the video recordings and congratulate them on the initiative.

To conclude, the teacher highlights the contribution of Ecuadorian professionals to this series of dialogues.

"Initially, this series of conferences was intended to be a simple and small invitation to those experts to our classes, but as we shaped the program we saw the need to integrate local experts," says Aguirre, adding:

“There enters the collaboration of Alexandra Kennedy and María Augusta Hermida. The work that the two of them have been developing in recent decades reveals an Ecuador of cultural, architectural and artistic wealth of real interest; Alexandra from history, art and culture; Augusta from modern architecture ”.