What is famous for the "alien" city of El Alto, which has become the hallmark of the Bolivian Aymara tribe

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In the harsh Andes, where representatives of the Bolivian Aymara tribe live, there is an "alien" city. The houses here are colorful, and their architecture looks like from the future. These are not classic colored houses of Europe, but something illusory and mysterious, like everything that is associated with the ancient indigenous peoples of America. However, there is no antiquity here: to build such incredible buildings in the metropolitan suburb of El Alto was invented by the young and very popular in Bolivia architect Freddie Mamani Silvestre.

From slums to a distinctive metropolis

At the end of the last century, the city of El Alto, adjacent to the capital of Bolivia, La Paz, began to develop dynamically. If a hundred years ago there were in the full sense of the slums on the outskirts of civilization, then gradually from the poorest settlement in the country El Alto began to turn into a modern and unique metropolis with a stable economy, having received the status of a separate municipal unit. Moreover, in terms of numbers, El Alto has already surpassed La Paz, yielding the palm only to Santa Cruz.

They live in the city mainly of the Aymara - the indigenous people of Bolivia. This tribe, whose number in the country is very large, although it has undergone Europeanization, integrating into the modern environment, still managed by some miracle to preserve its face and individuality. Having passed through the era of colonial oppression by the indigenous peoples of America, at the beginning of this century, the Aymaras began to revive and increasingly remember their cultural roots.

Geographically, the city rises above the capital (its height above sea level is 4 thousand meters) and looks down on the mediocre "European" La Paz. And this is very symbolic, because the houses in the capital cannot boast of such originality as in El Alto.

Interestingly, philosophically and spiritually, Aymaras are not individualists. Their mentality is based on the principles of community, mutual assistance, dependence on each other and a communal way of life, so that the architectural individuality of these structures is by no means a reflection of the social mentality of the owners. However, the townspeople enthusiastically embraced the architect's ideas, which reflect elements of local folk art (traditional patterns on clothing, ceramics, carpets), albeit in an ultra-modern version. On the buildings you can guess the silhouettes of butterflies, snakes, condors (heroes of the mythology of this people), and some houses are somewhat reminiscent of bright aymara ponchos.

Aymara boy turned out to be more decisive than his parents

The first steps in the construction business were made by the Bolivian architect Freddie Mamani Silvestre at the age of 14, when he began to help his father, a bricklayer, in his work. Two years later, he entered the University of La Paz at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, already clearly understanding for himself that he would connect life with architecture. Despite the fact that relatives actively discouraged him from this venture (they say, the family is not rich, the boy from the indigenous tribe in this profession does not shine), the talented guy still went his own way.

In 2005, Mamani founded his own architectural bureau, and now it employs more than two hundred employees, and projects of young and daring architects can be found throughout the country. Mamani says that he cultivates the so-called "New Andean" style in his works. And although not all colleagues accept such architecture, and some even consider the man crazy and self-taught, his projects cost a lot of money.

Houses as a symbol of luxury and identity

For wealthy members of the Aymara tribe, building a house designed by Mamani or buying an apartment in it is a sign of high status. It is fashionable and prestigious. And I must say that more and more local residents can afford such housing, because the well-being of the townspeople is gradually growing. The architectural group under the leadership of Mamani has already built hundreds of such houses in El Alto and is not going to stop there.

Well, for Mamani, these projects are both self-expression and an attempt to make the gray landscape of the capital's suburb not so dull. The vibrant futuristic architecture makes the local landscape both cheerful, fashionable and distinctive at the same time, showing the individuality of the inhabitants.

The architect is confident that thanks to his work, Aymara Bolivians will be able to proudly declare themselves and their uniqueness to the world. By the way, this idea was approved by the President of the country, because he is also an Aymara by nationality.

However, it is fair to say that the architecture of Mamani is not purely Aymaran. She absorbed several cultures at once - both the Andean (in a broad sense), and European, and futuristic. However, in general, the result is a unique and memorable style - very modern, grandiosely fantastic and inherent only in this city and this indigenous people. In general, Mamani achieved his goal anyway.

The colorful houses of European cities still look less alien and more familiar. For example, the colorful city of Manarola, as if drawn by a talented artist.