You might not believe it, but what
you're seeing now is all completely new. That's right, all you see here
is built in the last 12 years. Because they built a brand new city in
Guatemala that is absolutely stunning. And it could change the way how we
think about how we should build cities. The name of this city is Cayalá. For this video I interviewed two of the
architects who worked on this project and who have seen it go from dream to reality. The story of Cayalá starts with
a family who owns a beautiful plot of land in Guatemala City. The city had grown around this
plot, which is perched on a hill surrounded by steep cliffs. But around the year 2000, the owners
decide to use it to develop real estate. By chance, a young architect couple
is connected to the family by their partner, landscape architect and town planner Marc Landers. They see an opportunity to
create something truly great. Their names are Maria
Sanchéz and Pedro Godoy. They both went to the Notre Dame School
of Architecture in South Bend, Indiana. The only architectural
education that offers a fully traditional design curriculum. The only school that was really doing
something about it, it was Notre Dame. And we found an amazing
academy in, in Notre Dame. Their education gives them a
unique view on cities and places. One focused on creating places that are
harmonious, human scaled and beautiful, and not only innovative or original. The plot of land asks for a
special kind of master plan. And Maria and Pedro know exactly
which urban planner could be perfect for this project. Léon Krier. Krier is not your ordinary urban planner. He believes in places that prioritize
human skill over the dominance of skyscrapers and cars, and promotes
an urbanism that fosters community instead of causing social isolation. He also promotes architectural harmony
and the use of traditional design over chaotic, haphazard construction
which we see everywhere nowadays. He is also well known for being
a critic of modernist theories of urban planning and architecture. He makes these drawings that visualize
these criticisms really well. They're quite entertaining. I can highly recommend his book,
The Architecture of Community. Around year 2002, the architect
couple, who has started their firm Estudio Urbano, approaches Krier. They are not sure how he will react,
but they are pleasantly surprised. Because Krier accepts the
challenge immediately. Before the involvement of Krier
and Estudio Urbano, the family already has its own plan. Clusters of residential areas in
the form of gated communities. Guatemala has some tough
problems with crime. Many parts of the city are not safe
to just walk around in, so many who can afford it choose for the safety
of a walled enclave with security. But the concept of a walled city is
not compatible with the vision of Léon Krier and that of Estudio Urbano. They have a plan that is far bolder. The concept was to bring the
Christian city that comes from the Persian, Greek, Roman city. So, it is an open city. That was an issue at the beginning
because the advice for the family from security was to enclose the
city, but that was completely the opposite thing that we wanted to do. And why to close it if we have Antigua
Guatemala that is 45 minutes from Guatemala city and it's an open city. So that was the first like big step that
was an asset for the whole development. The support of the family
is not yet secured. They need to convince them
that their plan will work. And so we convince them as a first step
to, to do this charrette, to have a really clear vision of the potential of the land. Of course, on that moment,
everything was just ideas. We were breaking all the rules. All of these concepts that, that Léon
Krier presented, I think made sense to them, at least to consider them. The plan is as follows. Small urban blocks with building heights
of three to four stories are combined with a network of pedestrian streets and
boulevards and welcoming public spaces. The city is designed to look
coherent and harmonious. The buildings do not individually
scream for attention. But they blend in and respect the whole. It is a mixed use plan, with apartments,
shops, restaurants and office space. The plan even has a church, civic
buildings and beautiful public spaces where people can meet. In Cayalá they did something else
that is unique for Guatemala. The car is only welcomed as a guest. Because the land is owned by the family
and not by the municipality, the designers had more freedom and could show how
they made traffic slowing possible with almost no traffic signs and without
the use of curbs and asphalt, which is standard, or things like speed bumps. Instead, the meandering streets
forced cars to slow down to take pedestrians into account. It was a huge bet, but it worked. Directly from the beginning,
the pedestrians naturally took over the streets. Another unique thing about Cayalá
is of course its architecture. You will not find modernist
glass and concrete boxes here, or other generic buildings that
you can find anywhere on earth. In Cayalá, they fully embraced
the local cultural identity. When you walk the streets, you feel
like you are in Guatemala, not in Tokyo, or in Amsterdam, or Houston, Texas. To achieve this, they took inspiration
from the rich building traditions that can be found in Guatemala. Architecture is a bit like a language,
and here the architects learned and used the architectural vocabulary of
the country to create new sentences. We are using the usual methods of
construction of Guatemala, but they are done with a traditional language
that gives a continuity of the buildings, one next to the other. You can really read the facades that are
doing a coherent frame to the streets. Multiple styles and elements that
played a role in Guatemala were adapted to the 21st century and integrated. Art deco, classicism, Spanish
colonial but also the Mayan heritage of Guatemala are all represented. The Azaria pavilion, for example,
designed by Richard Economakis, has capitals with corncobs. This refers to the Popol Vuh, an
ancient Mayan text, which describes the Mayan creation story in which
humans are made out of maize. It is just a wonderful example
of how architecture can be sensitive and respectful of place. And it is clearly appreciated. The building's steps are a
very popular place to hang out, and I've seen many people
take photos and selfies there. No one seems to care
that classicism is used. The people just enjoy the quality
and the beauty of the place. But perhaps the nicest thing
about Cayalá are its details. The stone mouldings and frames,
the wooden balconies and decorative wrought iron fences and railings. They all give the plan an authentic charm. Finally, the plan is adapted
to the local hot climate. With traditional clay roof tiles
keeping out the tropical rains, and the colonnades and arcades that offers
some protection from the scorching sun. It might sound too good to be
true, but in 2009 the masterplan is launched and construction begins. We were really nervous about that,
because it was the first phase. If it worked, they will follow. If not, that's it. The open city center, Paseo
Cayalá, opens in sections. Parts are inaugurated in 2011,
2012, and 2017, but now it is completed, it doesn't feel new. It feels as if it has always been there. But what was very interesting is in the
first phase, we did like 500 meters, in which we have a civic building,
uh, shops, office spaces, apartments. From day one, all the concept was there
in the inauguration, it looked like it was there for so many years before,
you know, it like it was a complete picture of what was going to happen,
but also in the process, because this was like a new language, a new way
of doing urbanism and architecture. People were confused. They didn't really understand it. It was a shopping center and it was open. You can walk in the streets. So it really was making
a statement from day one. So how did they finance this plan? Wasn't it far too expensive? And didn't they lose money on
all the ornament and the beauty? Well, not exactly. First of all, the family that owned the
land had a long term stake in the plan. They didn't just want
to earn a quick buck. Instead, they cared about leaving a
legacy, and they understood that they could achieve this by doing something
valuable for the city and its communities. The family understood that seeing
real estate and development only through the lens of an Excel sheet,
and selling the land and real estate as soon as they possibly could, would
not be in their own best interest. They came to see that if they would
create true value, a place where people would want to be, they would be the
founders of a wonderful, popular new city. It turned out to be the right approach. Because the plan is so attractive, people
from all over the city come to visit. This led to blossoming retail
and increased value for the land and the property. It became so successful even,
that developers nearby Cayalá now market their property in
minutes of distance from Cayalá. There's even a word for
it: the Cayalá effect. Many people seem to have a knee jerk
reaction when they are confronted with the option to build something beautiful. They only think about the possibility
that it might be too expensive. But each beautiful project that has been
built is proof that it is possible and very often quite profitable as well. Finally, we seem to think today that
monetary value is the only type of value. But real value takes much
more into account, like safety, livability and beauty. And real value, in turn,
can lead to monetary value. They don't exclude each other,
rather they go hand in hand. It didn't take long before a number
of journalists started attacking Cayalá in a number of hit pieces. In the articles they wrote, they claimed
that Cayalá was nothing but an exclusive, closed off resort for the rich, surrounded
by gates with armed men guarding it. Well, I was there, and I can assure you
that the center of Cayalá is indeed open. I didn't see any men with machine guns,
and I didn't only see wealthy people. What I did see, however, were some
residential parts that were closed off. And I did see some security. As crime rates are still problematic,
this is unfortunately the norm for more luxurious real estate in Guatemala. In the best case, someday these
gates will not be necessary anymore. Also, most of the apartments
are indeed very expensive. It is, after all, premium real estate. So, is Cayalá really only for the rich? And does the lack of affordable
housing invalidate the entire concept? Well, when I visited, I
observed something remarkable. Every day as the sun set, the
streets filled up with a diverse crowd, with people from all
different ages and backgrounds. If Cayalá was really only for
millionaires, then there sure must be a lot of millionaires in Guatemala. Jokes aside, I didn't have the
impression for a moment that this was a place that tried to be a closed off
resort for only one type of people. Instead, I saw how a variety of people
enjoyed the spaces together, even though not everyone could afford a house there. The city center actually functions as one. It is a public space for everyone and
attractive enough to actually visit. People just do some window shopping,
get an ice cream, explore the intimate streets, or sit on the
steps of the Azaria pavilion to watch the sunset behind the volcanoes. There is enough to do without spending
a penny, because it is a nice place to be, and that is incredibly valuable. Not just financially, but
psychologically and emotionally too. We are a multicultural country, and to
see everybody gather in the same space, because public spaces are for gathering. And even if we have different
philosophies of life or different ways of thinking, if you act in a very
civilized manner, you can be together and you can share the same space. That is the purpose of cities. I believe that what was done in
Cayalá can be a lesson to many. It shows how striving for beauty, harmony
and community in an urban design leads to a win-win situation for the developer
and most importantly for the people. It teaches us that people vote with their
feet, even when they have little to spend. People just want to be in nice places. If you build those for
them, they will come. But although creating places like Cayalá
might look simple, it is not easy. We need more architects and planners,
who are trained to create beautiful, livable places, with architecture
that is respectful, harmonious, and rooted in local culture. Happily, there is a university like the
School of Architecture in Notre Dame. But there are also more and more summer
schools that teach this way of planning, like the one in Utrecht this summer by
INTBAU, or the one in Belgium, organized by La Table Ronde d'Architecture. There's a great one in Spain too,
and one by Create Streets in Britain. Until universities in Europe, Asia,
even Africa, start taking these skills serious again and shift their focus from
frivolous concepts to the creation of actually pleasant places, there are little
other options than these summer schools. But more on that in a future video. Finally, building beauty doesn't have
to exclude people of lower income. As long as the public spaces are made
accessible to all, everyone can profit. And the more we build that is beautiful,
the higher the odds are that we can make it accessible to lower incomes as well. We have to start somewhere. And Cayalá is a great example
of the first steps we can take. Thank you for watching. If you enjoyed this video, please share
it with a friend, colleague or anyone involved in politics or urban planning. You might also like the next
video, which is a story of how an uprising in Scandinavia is fighting
back against ugly buildings. Also, I launched a cool Notion
database, in which I compiled two years of research and a lot more. Patrons have free access, but you can get
it with a 50% discount in the link below. Thank you for now, don't forget
to subscribe and till next time!
