Colombia

The Plight of Afro-Colombians

Afro-Colombians traditionally occupied North-Western Colombia, or rather the coastal region. They are descends of the African slaves brought to colonial Columbia to make up for a dwindling indigenous population. They were used for all sorts of labor. Even today, most of the population remains relatively poor and discriminated against. 

Recently, Afro-Colombians have been forced out of their homes by paramilitaries. They have had to move to the bigger cities. And they are not happy about it. First of all, they are a people used to living in close-knit communities by the coast, surrounded by lush vegetation. They do not feel like they belong in cities as they are out of their element and because they are not treated as part of the population. They are in great need of both financial aid, but also a program to help them relocate and readjust to a new place. 

There is also another issue associated with the displacement of Afro-Colombians. Much deforestation is occuring in North-Western Colombia. Many environmental and human rights organizations have already taken notice and have spoken out against this. The paramilitaries are also suspected of being associated with large biofuel corporations that want the Afro-Colombians forced out of the region.

A designer is much needed to help ease the plight of the Afro-Colombians. Some programs are already in place, but they address the fundamentals such as food and shelter. With design, these people could be helped to preserve their heritage and to function within a larger world. Also, the mass deforestation must be stopped at all costs. 

By Anja M.

Montreal, Canada

The Olympic Stadium

The Olympic Stadium in Montreal was built for the 1976 summer Olympics. It was designed by French architect Roger Taillibert. It is a very elaborate facility featuring a retractable roof, which is opened and closed by a huge 175 meter tower (the tallest inclined structure in the world currently). The Olympic pool is located under the tower. What used to be the velodrome has since been converted into the Montreal Biodome.

Both the Biodome and the Stadium are incredible feats of architecture and design in their own right. The Biodome houses many animals native to different regions of the world. Their native environment has been created from the vegetation to the climate. One are of the Biodome is extremely humid and striking parrots roam free. Another area is cold, recreating Northern Canada, such that one might even need a coat. A huge amount of thought went into the design of each environment. The Biodome is where biology meets architecture and interior design. The Stadium is a magnificent structure that towers impossibly over everyone. The Stadium has a delicate quality about it that many similar structures today lack. It doesn't seem of this world.

The Olympic Stadium in Montreal should be visited by the designer-traveler because in one go a person is able to explore and experience a beautiful structure, and also to observe how design can be applied to science. Besides all this, travelling to this site would provide an architect or designer with an interesting puzzle to solve. The structure, as wonderful as it is, has many flaws and the building requires a lot of work to maintain. What could have been done differently in the design to avoid this? Are the materials ideal? This is an opportunity to save a piece of history and to really redesign a structure within tight constraints: you already know the aesthetics of it, so how can the inside, the construction, work better?


by Anja M.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Recoleta in Buenos Aires -- Design Center and more...

Buenos Aires is referred to as "the Paris of South America". It is a beautifully quaint and elegant city, with a thriving art and design scene. Specifically, the neighborhood of Recoleta is home to a lot of the most important art/design related sites. The Museo de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Art), BA Design Center, and the metal rose are all contained within this area. The Museum has a spectacular collection of European and significant South American artists. Most museums like the Met like lacking in South American masters, so this museum definitely fills in that void for the curious traveler. The BA (Buenos Aires) Design center is housed within an old fortress near the water. It is mainly underground. It consists of numerous stores containing, sort of in the style of the MoMA stores, that have a range of beautiful furniture, lighting and product design. The BA Design Center also has a scultpure garden in front. The metal rose is in the park that lies between Recoleta and the water. It's a massive metal sculpture that opens its petals during the day and closes them at night, very much like a real flower would. This sort of design touch can be found all over Recoleta. It is sometimes very subtle and sometimes not. For example, a lot of the the restaurants in Recoleta have experimental interior design that creates an entire experience that goes along with the meal.

All in all, Recoleta is a top notch location for the curious designer-traveler, who wants to see how another culture keeps recreating itself and what their aesthetic standards are. The wonderful thing about Recoleta is that all this new creation is occuring next to exceptionally beautiful old buildings that look like they've been plucked out of Paris and placed on another continent. A designer would definitely benefit from seeing all the amazing things that the designers down there are creating.


By Anja M.


Top image: The metal rose.
Middle image: A view of the main avenue in Recoleta.
Bottom image: BA Design Center, outside.