Monument to the Summit of the Americas: The Story Behind Mario Botta's Work in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

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Santa Cruz de la Sierra is located on the eastern plains of Bolivia, on the banks of the Pirai River. Being the most populous city in the country, it reveals an extreme social and cultural complexity surrounded by extensive pampas and plains. Additionally, it represents one of the most developed cities in Bolivia, with a high municipal indicator of sustainable development. Delving into the importance of community architecture, popular appropriation, the character of urbanity, and other concepts, this article explores the history behind the Summit of the Americas Monument through a series of narratives, documentations, drawings, and images captured by Pino Musi.

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For years now in the West and the East, the consolidation of community sense within urban centers has been based on images that are accepted by the community in general, which can be classified as material, cultural, or character-based. In the absence of common architectural, artistic, heritage, or landscape elements, the sense of belonging, which is fundamental in the construction of any society, begins to dissolve, and thus, the collective commitment of citizens to their city also diminishes. In fact, it is believed that one of Santa Cruz's most concerning cultural weaknesses lies in the absence of a solid urban reference element due, for example, among several reasons, to its "new city" character, which, although founded in the 16th century, only acquired a real urban scale after 1960, beginning to be recognized as a city in the '90s.

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Cite: Iñiguez, Agustina. "Monument to the Summit of the Americas: The Story Behind Mario Botta's Work in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia" [Monumento a la Cumbre de las Américas: la historia detrás de la obra de Mario Botta en Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia] 11 May 2024. ArchDaily. (Trans. Piñeiro, Antonia ) Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1016221/monument-to-the-summit-of-the-americas-the-story-behind-mario-bottas-work-in-santa-cruz-de-la-sierra-bolivia> ISSN 0719-8884

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