Colombia's most prestigious architectural event has announced the results of this year's selection. The Colombian Society of Architects (SCA) has nominated 118 entries across 9 distinct categories for the XXVII Colombian Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism: Interior and Ephemeral Architecture, Urban Design and Landscape, Publications and Dissemination, Social Habitat, Heritage Intervention, Research and Criticism, Urban and Territorial Planning, Architectural Design, and Single-Family, Duplex, or Triplex Housing. The jury, comprising Enrique Norten, Adib Cure, Gloria Serna, Hernando Vargas Caicedo, Ricardo Navarrete, Hildelgard Vásquez, Alberto Saldarriaga, Gilma Mosquera, and Doris Tarchopulos, will select a winner for each category, from which the National Architecture Prize will be awarded.
This biennial is typically held in person in the Caribbean, Macondo-like city of Cartagena de Indias, which, despite its stark contrasts, remains an iconic landmark that the country takes pride in showcasing. Due to the pandemic, the SCA decided to host this year's event entirely virtually. This allows the discussions, panels, and exhibitions surrounding the biennial to reach a broader audience. By moving away from the festive atmosphere of in-person gatherings, this event can focus directly on critical issues facing the profession and its ideal—though sometimes utopian—impact as servers and facilitators of spaces for the benefit of humanity, and specifically the Colombian population. One of the categories (Social Habitat) offers an opportunity to address an issue that often seems overlooked among national priorities, as the housing crisis remains one of the most pressing challenges across the country and the rest of Latin America.
Explore the highly diverse projects selected across the 9 categories below:
