The latest monumental works and spaces of the historicism architects

Diversification and integration of scenarios in the center of Guatemala city, from the 1920´´'s to the 1940's

Abstract

Among the cultural patrimony of the His­toric Center of Guatemala City, a series of spaces and monumental works from the interwar period are of special interest. Some because they are the focal point of urban perspectives, others due to their volumetric composition subsequent to landmarks such as towers, or because they are realigned within the blocks to give way to frontal squares, among oth­er elements of urban composition. They also stand out because they do not cor­respond to the traditional characteristics of the city centre's architecture, given its marked architectural individuality and subtle urban sites, although with a volu­metric proportion that it is not complete­ly foreign to the traditional construction of this context. The dimensions, slen­derness and other characteristics from these works were made possible by the introduction of reinforced concrete, de­spite being part of historicist architectur­al styles. These and other qualities have made them to be considered in our time as a prominent part of urban heritage. In this article, we propose to analyze these architectural works with an urbanistic scope, to inquire about their origins and authors, which today are almost forgot­ten, and above all, to approach their ur­ban qualities.