The work of Rogelio Salmona is one of the greatest Latin American references for the harmonious integration of architectural projects into the city through volume, nature, and materials. Rogelio Salmona is a French architect who began his architectural studies at the National University of Colombia but was forced to suspend them due to university issues beyond his control. This led him to Paris to complete his studies and work at Le Corbusier’s atelier for around nine years, a period long enough to influence his architecture with the fundamental principles of modernism. Despite this, Salmona manages to distinguish his work from Le Corbusier’s architecture by emphasising traditional materials, the richness of the landscape, and forms inspired by urban patterns.
Design Principles of Rogelio Salmona
The design process of Salmona begins with an analysis of the site and the message the project aims to communicate. The case of the “Conjunto Residencial del Parque” is very representative because its impact was urban. The surroundings included the Plaza de Toros, the Parque de la Independencia, and the panoramic view of the Piedmont. The condition of the neighbouring facilities was questionable and required an urban transformation that would renew the environment through harmonious public spaces on a human scale. The architect intervened with stairways adapted to the topography of the land, small plazas, gardens, lighting, and tree planting, among other elements. On the other hand, the formal response of the project featured three sets of stepped towers extending peripherally around the Plaza de Toros. With this volumetric intention, the project communicates its adaptation to the surroundings as a sign of respect for the history of the place, thereby contributing a new architectural composition to the urban landscape of Bogotá.
On the other hand, the richness of the materials for construction lies in the architect’s exploration to incorporate them into the project. One of the main characteristics of Rogelio Salmona’s architecture is the use of fired clay brick in all his projects. Although brick is perceived as a heavy material, the architectural design of Salmona softens the material and transforms it into the enclosure of the building, rather than just stacked pieces. His fascination with the local brick of the capital was also part of his design principles. In the Conjunto Residencial del Parque, also known as “Las Torres del Parque”, he exalted the beauty of brick to its fullest expression. Thanks to the physical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the material and its availability in the region, brick was fundamental in enriching one of his most emblematic projects. However, brick was just one part of the configuration of this high-density housing masterpiece.
Although the projects of Salmona adhere to his design principles, several stand out for their exceptional beauty due to their accessibility or collective history. This is the case of the recovery of the Environmental Axis of Avenida Jiménez. The precedent for this case was an old river in the La Candelaria neighbourhood in the centre of Bogotá. The objective of this project was to channel the river, cover it, and restore the memory of its essence through a pedestrian walkway equipped with a body of water that runs through the environmental axis with vegetation, wax palms, urban furniture, and clay brick paving. The importance of this axis is the connection between the centre of Bogotá and Monserrate.
The Architectural Heritage of Rogelio Salmona
The work of Rogelio Salmona is a rich heritage for Bogotá, Colombia, and humanity. His contribution to architecture is highly valuable for future generations of architects, designers, urban planners, and anyone who wishes to build cities. Although there is an extensive list of projects, two significant ones stand out to extract the architect’s ideology and philosophy: the National General Archive and the Virgilio Barco Public Library. Despite both projects being urban facilities, their functions and spatial needs are very different. Nevertheless, Salmona integrates his modern language of open floor plans to transition between public and private spaces, bodies of water, lighting, and materials, among other characteristics.
First, the National General Archive is an institutional project that consists of a large repository of Colombia’s documentary heritage. The technical considerations of the project had to protect the archive from external agents such as light, water, wind, and dust, while the design considerations aimed to represent the institution with a creative architectural proposal. The two main elements of the National General Archive are the enclosure composed of a double wall of bricks combined with openings strategically located for ventilation to protect the repository in the southern section and the circular pavilion in the northern section of the project, responsible for connecting all departments from an open and transparent circular plaza. The concept by Salmona is fundamental to justify the forms, as he proposes modern and harmonious spatial solutions for inhabitation based on a prior study.
Second, the Virgilio Barco Park and Public Library is a recreational project that invites the city to enjoy the landscape and culture. On a triangular plot, Salmona places the main body of the library in the shape of a spiral, combining brick and concrete, surrounded by peripheral bodies of water and stepped water mirrors at the main entrance. The lighting of the library is natural during the day thanks to large windows in the upper area of the circular volume. The program of this project is diverse and multipurpose, accommodating over 60,000 users per month. The space offerings include children’s rooms, general reading areas, training zones, exhibition spaces, auditoriums, a music room, and open-air theatres located on the terraces.
Final Reflections
“To prepare beautiful ruins for ivy and time, as Apollinaire said. That’s what it’s about. Making time memorable.”
Rogelio Salmona
Rogelio Salmona is undoubtedly a mandatory case study for every architecture student. His work has endured over time thanks to the durability of his projects and the social appropriation by the citizens. It is no coincidence; his design principles, oriented towards the enjoyment of users in spatial and visual terms, were key to anticipating the needs of people conditioned by the urban environment. Regardless of institutional objectives, the language of Rogelio Salmona connects his work through clear design principles.
References:
Fundacion Rogelio Salmona (2022). Obra: Proyectos de Rogelio Salmona [online]. Available at: https://www.fundacionrogeliosalmona.org/proyecto [Accessed 15 July 2024].
Archisagil (2015). Una visita al Archivo General de la Nación – Colombia [online]. Available at: https://archivosagil.blogspot.com/2015/04/una-visita-al-archivo-general-de-la.html [Accessed 15 July 2024].
Melina Kuroiva (2015). Biblioteca Virgilio Barco – Flickr [online]. Available at: https://flic.kr/p/yGGKmG [Accessed 15 July 2024].
Greg Stern (2007). La Candelaria – Flickr [online]. Available at: https://flic.kr/p/E5Mqc [Accessed 15 July 2024].
Carlos Felipe Pardo (2021). Torres del Parque, Plaza de Toros Bogotá– Flickr [online]. Available at: https://flic.kr/p/2mTH7hs [Accessed 15 July 2024].
