On August 27, 2019, the awards ceremony and academic symposium of the first Bogota Public Space Biennale (BEPBOG) took place. The event was the first of its kind in Latin America and the third worldwide, highlighting the value of public space in the Colombian capital and the importance of recognizing best practices regarding the spaces to which everyone is entitled.
The competition was organized by the Mayor's Office of Bogota, D.C., represented by the Administrative Department of the Public Space Defender's Office (DADEP) and its Bogota Public Space Observatory—which have been responsible for defending, improving, and empowering the use of public spaces for the past 20 years—and the Colombian Society of Architects, Bogota and Cundinamarca chapter (SCA BC), which fosters industry unity and manages public architectural competitions.
The event brought together internationally renowned speakers, such as Roman architect Elisa Maceratini from Interazioni Urbane, who spoke on the value of tactical urbanism and the power of community management and sustainable renewal; Marcelo Ferraz of São Paulo, co-founder of Brasil Arquitetura, who demonstrated through his Plaza de las Artes project in São Paulo how architecture can revitalize a dead space in the city center by giving it a cultural use and providing open spaces to the city, acting as an urban catalyst for the area; and Argentine architect Jorge Moscato, who presented the characteristics of the public space of Puerto Madero.
From the local scene, presenters included Camilo Pinilla of AMU, who shared his academic vision of urbanism based on the three stages of Solá-Morales, and how a well-woven urban fabric shapes a great city. Medellin architect Sebastian Monsalve demonstrated how revitalizing the Medellin River waterfront through a park adds iconic value to the city by integrating the population equitably, while addressing the challenges of a project of this scale. Also presenting were architect Benjamín Barney, a renowned biennale juror, and Carlos Betancur, co-director of OPUS, who showcased the outcomes of designing in harmony with nature and people.
Below are the winners in the three categories:
Built Public Space Project
Winner:
Caracolí Park 19-135 / Diana Wiesner Ceballos
Design: Diana Wiesner Arquitectura y Paisaje SAS
Design team: Diana Wiesner, Carlos Lince, Lissette Redondo
Collaboration: Adriana Barrera, Juan Fernando Gómez, Pedro Camargo, and Nicolás Gamba
Construction: Ingedeur SAS
Location: Ciudad Bolívar district. Calle 76a Sur and Carrera 73f.
Honorable Mention:
Casa Blanca Zonal Park / IDRD
Author: IDRD
Director: Arch. Orlando Molano
Technical Deputy Director of Construction: Arch. Mauricio Reina
Design Team Coordinator: Arch. Federico Cañón
Layout: Arch. Edwin Garcia, Arch. Carolina Gomez, Arch. Ramiro Andrade, Arch. Daniela Ibañez, ID Felipe Casas, Arch. Emma Bautista, ID Camilo Garcia.
Honorable Mention:
Calle 10 Public Space Design (between Carreras 2 and 7) / JAC Arquitectos
Design: JAC Arquitectos
Design team: Arch. Javier Andrés Cárdenas Gómez, MSc in Urban Design - Arch. Jhonny Alexander Hernández Urrea - Arch. Jacobo Gallego Valencia
Collaboration: Unión Temporal Candelaria 2018 (Contractor) - Local Mayor's Office of La Candelaria (Manager-Promoter) - Distrital Institute of Cultural Heritage (IDPC)
Location: Calle 10 between Carreras 2 and 7. La Candelaria neighborhood. Bogota.
Spaces Designated for Public Use
Winner:
Integrated Care Center Plaza / taller de arquitectura de bogotá Universidad de los Andes
Comprehensive Public Space Management
Winner:
Zigzag Park / WHITEKNEE
Design: WHITEKNEE - Aaron Brakke
Design team: Aaron Paul Brakke, Estefania Villamizar, Yojhanth González, Stephen Ferroni, Felipe Flores Garzon, Nicolas Arias, Iván Ávila, Alejandro Bello, and Juan Nicolás Rivera.
Collaboration: ILIAD (Illinois Living Laboratory for Insurgent Architecture & Design) at the University of Illinois and Universidad Piloto.
Honorable Mention:
Reserva Umbral Cultural Horizontes / Cerros de Bogotá Foundation
Manager: Cerros de Bogotá Foundation
Location: Chapinero district. Transversal 2 Este # 78 - 93
Honorable Mention:
San Diego Tequendama Pedestrian Tunnel and Cultural Gallery / Asociación Cívica Centro Internacional San Diego
Design and construction team: Juan Pablo Orozco - AsoSandiego
Lighting: Carmenza Henao (Lighting Design)
Lighting company: Ivan Jimenez Cavana (LAMP)
Landscaping: Adriana Uribe (Contraseña de marca)
Metalwork: Frencher Servicios Industriales
Engineering: Manuel Ricardo Gomez (SinerING)
Signage and advertising: Mauricio Arguello (Visión Express Publicidad)
Renders: Nelson Hernandez
Location: Carrera 10 # 26 - 05, Centro Internacional neighborhood, Santa Fe district
Special Award
Rehabilitation of Riparian Zones and Environmental Management and Preservation Areas of the Córdoba - Juan Amarillo - Jaboque System / GX Samper Architects
This article was written by Santiago Baraya. The translation is powered by AI.
