The new mestiza? Architecture and identity on the border

Abstract

Over the past two decades, extravagant examples of architecture in the Bolivian city of El Alto have attracted the world's attention and generated controversy amongst architectural critics. Analysis of their aesthetics, construction and functional characteristics allows us to extract, from this specific and geographically delimited case, general considerations regarding architectural production in Latin America. This article focuses on architecture to reflect on sociological, anthropological, and historical concepts, such as the border condition, contemporary forms of identity development and opportunities and constraints linked to political and cultural action.

Keywords

• cholets
• neo-andean architecture
• el alto
• bolivia
• frontier
• border thinking
• ch'ixi identity
• baroque ethos