Architecture Guide to Medellín: 20 places that every architect should visit. Image © Iván Erre Jota [Flickr], under licence CC BY-SA 2.0

In 2013, Medellín (Colombia) was declared the most innovative city in the world as part of the City of the Year Competition, organized by the Wall Street Journal. It competed alongside metropolises like New York and Tel Aviv. 

Although it may seem strange, this distinction is not so out there. The Antioquian capital has become one of the most advanced technological and intellectual epicenters in Colombia, not to mention the important urban development that has occurred in the city since the beginning of 2010. 

The city’s mobility-orientated integrated infrastructure together with interventions of high social impact have turned Medellín into the center of the debate on the growth and development of Latin American cities. 

In the following 20 projects, tell you the story of a city that bet on urban consolidation through quality public spaces and projects that encouraged citizen management by supporting the development of marginalized areas in a process of social reconstruction, where architecture has played an important role as a spatial formulation tool.

Parque Explora (Explora Park) / Alejandro Echeverri
Carrera 53 # 73 – 75

Explora Park / Alejandro Echeverri . Image via Universidad EAFIT [Flickr], under licence CC BY-SA 2.0

Orquideorama / Plan B Arquitectos + JPRCR Arquitectos
Avenida Carrera 63 # 68 – 95

Orquideorama / Plan B Arquitectos + JPRCR Arquitectos. Image © Sergio Gómez

Modern Art Museum of Medellín Extension / Ctrl G + 51-1
Carrera 44 # 19A – 100, Avenida de las Vegas Ciudad del Río

MAMM extension/ Ctrl-G + 51-1 Arquitectos. Image © Manuela Bonilla

Plaza Mayor Centro Internacional de Convenciones (Main square International Convention Centre) / Giancarlo Mazzanti + Daniel Bonilla + Rafael Esguerra
Calle 41 # 55 – 80

Main square International Convention Centre/ Giancarlo Mazzanti + Daniel Bonilla + Rafael Esguerra. Image via fernando [Flickr], under licence CC BY-SA 2.0

Plaza de Cisneros / Juan Manuel Peláez Freidel + Luís Fernando Peláez
Calle 44 # 52 – 50

Plaza de Cisneros / Juan Manuel Peláez Freidel + Luís Fernando Peláez. Image © Juan Manuel Peláez Freidel

Planetario de Medellín (Medellín Planetarium / Marco Aurelio Baquero
Carrera 52 # 71 – 117

Medellín Planetarium / Marco Aurelio Baquero. Image via Guía de Viajes Oficial de Medellín [Flickr], under licence CC BY-SA 2.0

Opened in 1984, this project was later intervened on two occasions. The first was by Luis Alfonso Escobar, Eleazar Gómez and Yenny Catalina Salazar and the second intervention was carried out by OPUS in collaboration the Explora Park team. 

Parques del Río Medellín (Medellín River Parks) / Latitud Taller de Arquitectura y Ciudad
Carrera 63 con Calle 38

Medellín River Parks / Latitud Taller de Arquitectura y Ciudad. Image © Antonio Maggiolo

Museo Casa de la Memoria (Memory House Museum)/ Juan David Botero
Calle 51 # 36 – 66

Memory House Museum / Juan David Botero. Image © Isaac Ramírez Marín

Biblioteca Pública EPM (EPM Public Library)/ Felipe Uribe de Bedout
Calle 44 # 44 – 48

EPM Public Library / Felipe Uribe de Bedout. Image via Jorge Láscar [Flickr], bajo licencia CC BY-SA 2.0

Cremation Unit and Ashes Temple / Juan Felipe Uribe de Bedout + Mauricio Gaviria + Hector Mejía
Calle 2 Sur # 65 – 263

Temple of ashes and Crematorium/ Juan Felipe Uribe de Bedout + Mauricio Gaviria + Hector Mejía. Image © Federico Cairoli

Parque Biblioteca España  (Spanish Public Library)/ Giancarlo Mazzanti
Calle 107a # 33B

Spanish Public Library/ Giancarlo Mazzanti. Image © Sergio Gómez

Nueva sede de la Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano (New office of the Urban Development Company) / EDU
Carrera 46 # 44 – 94

New office of the Urban Development Company/ EDU – Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano de Medellín. Image © Alejandro Arango

Centro de Innovación Argos (Argos Innovation Centre) / Castro Arquitectos
Carrera 49 # 7 Sur – 50

Argos Innovation Centre/ Castro Arquitectos . Image © Manuela Bonilla

Centro Cívico Plaza de La Libertad (Civic Centre Liberty Plaza)/ OPUS + Toroposada Arquitectos
Carrera 53 A # 42 – 161

Civic Centre Liberty Plaza / OPUS + Toroposada Arquitectos. Image © Sergio Gómez

Café del Bosque (Cafe in the woods) / Castro Arquitectos
Calle 73 # 51 D -14

Cafe in the woods / Castro Arquitectos. Image © Lorenzo Castro

Fernando Botero Park Library / G Ateliers Architecture / G Ateliers Architecture

Carrera 131 # 62 – 15

Fernando Botero Public Library/ G Ateliers Architecture. Image © Orlando Garcia

Escenarios Deportivos (Sport Centre) / Giancarlo Mazzanti + Plan:b arquitectos
Carrera 72 # 48 -146

Sport Centre/ Giancarlo Mazzanti + Plan:b arquitectos. Image © Iwan Baan

Complejo acuático para los IX Juegos Suramericanos (Aquatic Park for the IX South American Games) / Edgar Mazo, Sebastián Mejía ( Connatural ) + Luis Callejas (LCLA Office) como Paisajes Emergentes
Carrera 72 # 48 -146

Aquatic Park for the IX South American Games / Edgar Mazo, Sebastián Mejía ( Connatural ) + Luis Callejas (LCLA Office) como Paisajes Emergentes. Image © Paisajes Emergentes

Leon de Grief Library Park / Giancarlo Mazzanti
Calle 59 A # 36 – 30

León de Grieff Public Library / Giancarlo Mazzanti. Image © Sergio Gómez

Belen Police Station / EDU
Carrera 73 # 14 – 13

(*):

Estación de Policía Belén / EDU – Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano de Medellín. Image Cortesía de EDU

Architecture Guide to Medellín: 20 places that every architect should visit. Image © Iván Erre Jota [Flickr], under licence CC BY-SA 2.0

In 2013, Medellín (Colombia) was declared the most innovative city in the world as part of the City of the Year Competition, organized by the Wall Street Journal. It competed alongside metropolises like New York and Tel Aviv. 

Although it may seem strange, this distinction is not so out there. The Antioquian capital has become one of the most advanced technological and intellectual epicenters in Colombia, not to mention the important urban development that has occurred in the city since the beginning of 2010. 

The city’s mobility-orientated integrated infrastructure together with interventions of high social impact have turned Medellín into the center of the debate on the growth and development of Latin American cities. 

In the following 20 projects, tell you the story of a city that bet on urban consolidation through quality public spaces and projects that encouraged citizen management by supporting the development of marginalized areas in a process of social reconstruction, where architecture has played an important role as a spatial formulation tool.

Parque Explora (Explora Park) / Alejandro Echeverri
Carrera 53 # 73 – 75

Explora Park / Alejandro Echeverri . Image via Universidad EAFIT [Flickr], under licence CC BY-SA 2.0

Orquideorama / Plan B Arquitectos + JPRCR Arquitectos
Avenida Carrera 63 # 68 – 95

Orquideorama / Plan B Arquitectos + JPRCR Arquitectos. Image © Sergio Gómez

Modern Art Museum of Medellín Extension / Ctrl G + 51-1
Carrera 44 # 19A – 100, Avenida de las Vegas Ciudad del Río

MAMM extension/ Ctrl-G + 51-1 Arquitectos. Image © Manuela Bonilla

Plaza Mayor Centro Internacional de Convenciones (Main square International Convention Centre) / Giancarlo Mazzanti + Daniel Bonilla + Rafael Esguerra
Calle 41 # 55 – 80

Main square International Convention Centre/ Giancarlo Mazzanti + Daniel Bonilla + Rafael Esguerra. Image via fernando [Flickr], under licence CC BY-SA 2.0

Plaza de Cisneros / Juan Manuel Peláez Freidel + Luís Fernando Peláez
Calle 44 # 52 – 50

Plaza de Cisneros / Juan Manuel Peláez Freidel + Luís Fernando Peláez. Image © Juan Manuel Peláez Freidel

Planetario de Medellín (Medellín Planetarium / Marco Aurelio Baquero
Carrera 52 # 71 – 117

Medellín Planetarium / Marco Aurelio Baquero. Image via Guía de Viajes Oficial de Medellín [Flickr], under licence CC BY-SA 2.0

Opened in 1984, this project was later intervened on two occasions. The first was by Luis Alfonso Escobar, Eleazar Gómez and Yenny Catalina Salazar and the second intervention was carried out by OPUS in collaboration the Explora Park team. 

Parques del Río Medellín (Medellín River Parks) / Latitud Taller de Arquitectura y Ciudad
Carrera 63 con Calle 38

Medellín River Parks / Latitud Taller de Arquitectura y Ciudad. Image © Antonio Maggiolo

Museo Casa de la Memoria (Memory House Museum)/ Juan David Botero
Calle 51 # 36 – 66

Memory House Museum / Juan David Botero. Image © Isaac Ramírez Marín

Biblioteca Pública EPM (EPM Public Library)/ Felipe Uribe de Bedout
Calle 44 # 44 – 48

EPM Public Library / Felipe Uribe de Bedout. Image via Jorge Láscar [Flickr], bajo licencia CC BY-SA 2.0

Cremation Unit and Ashes Temple / Juan Felipe Uribe de Bedout + Mauricio Gaviria + Hector Mejía
Calle 2 Sur # 65 – 263

Temple of ashes and Crematorium/ Juan Felipe Uribe de Bedout + Mauricio Gaviria + Hector Mejía. Image © Federico Cairoli

Parque Biblioteca España  (Spanish Public Library)/ Giancarlo Mazzanti
Calle 107a # 33B

Spanish Public Library/ Giancarlo Mazzanti. Image © Sergio Gómez

Nueva sede de la Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano (New office of the Urban Development Company) / EDU
Carrera 46 # 44 – 94

New office of the Urban Development Company/ EDU – Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano de Medellín. Image © Alejandro Arango

Centro de Innovación Argos (Argos Innovation Centre) / Castro Arquitectos
Carrera 49 # 7 Sur – 50

Argos Innovation Centre/ Castro Arquitectos . Image © Manuela Bonilla

Centro Cívico Plaza de La Libertad (Civic Centre Liberty Plaza)/ OPUS + Toroposada Arquitectos
Carrera 53 A # 42 – 161

Civic Centre Liberty Plaza / OPUS + Toroposada Arquitectos. Image © Sergio Gómez

Café del Bosque (Cafe in the woods) / Castro Arquitectos
Calle 73 # 51 D -14

Cafe in the woods / Castro Arquitectos. Image © Lorenzo Castro

Fernando Botero Park Library / G Ateliers Architecture / G Ateliers Architecture

Carrera 131 # 62 – 15

Fernando Botero Public Library/ G Ateliers Architecture. Image © Orlando Garcia

Escenarios Deportivos (Sport Centre) / Giancarlo Mazzanti + Plan:b arquitectos
Carrera 72 # 48 -146

Sport Centre/ Giancarlo Mazzanti + Plan:b arquitectos. Image © Iwan Baan

Complejo acuático para los IX Juegos Suramericanos (Aquatic Park for the IX South American Games) / Edgar Mazo, Sebastián Mejía ( Connatural ) + Luis Callejas (LCLA Office) como Paisajes Emergentes
Carrera 72 # 48 -146

Aquatic Park for the IX South American Games / Edgar Mazo, Sebastián Mejía ( Connatural ) + Luis Callejas (LCLA Office) como Paisajes Emergentes. Image © Paisajes Emergentes

Leon de Grief Library Park / Giancarlo Mazzanti
Calle 59 A # 36 – 30

León de Grieff Public Library / Giancarlo Mazzanti. Image © Sergio Gómez

Belen Police Station / EDU
Carrera 73 # 14 – 13

(*):

Estación de Policía Belén / EDU – Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano de Medellín. Image Cortesía de EDU