Magical Modernism: Latin American Urbanisms and the Imaginary of Social Architecture

Abstract

This article critically overviews the evolving portrayal of Latin American architecture and urban design, particularly by United States and European observers, as the realization of a modernist aspiration to align design with social causes. With a focus on the coupling of architectural and nation-building projects in Colombia, the article urges for a closer look at the conditions and entanglements of architectural production in the region’s uneven political and spatial landscapes.