The team from lyongo architecture Amsterdam and Willemstad took a trip to Medellín, Colombia. The city has been an inspiration for lyongo’s architecture for the past decade. So it was special that we could visit it in the run-up to our 25th anniversary.
Our intern Tyree got to join as well. “I was looking forward to gaining inspiration and learning from various projects and architects in Medellín. It was such a great experience for me. A crucial insight I take with me is the importance of designing with everyone in mind. In my future designs I want to use the inspiration that I took from all of the projects we visited and strive for aesthetically pleasing, accessible and relevant designs for a wide audience.”
We’ll give you a quick recap of what Tyree and the rest of our team experienced. Our program was made by Julian Restrepo, owner and architect at the architectural firm TALLER – located in Bogota and Amsterdam. He would guide us through the city over the next few days and introduce us to these inspiring projects.
We kicked off the trip on Saturday, December 2, at the Colombian architectural firm Entropia. The firm is known for designing public places. We were received there by the architect Juan David Hoyos. He told us about their project Parque del Rio (river park). Their design aims to make the area around the river livelier. This area is now often polluted, underdeveloped and creates a harsh divide in the city.
From the office we went for a walk to the park. What is special about the design is that the motorway has been moved underneath the park. A difficult task in a city like Medellín where cars are the main means of transport. Where the road once was, there is now a green lively park with various buildings for catering and recreation.
Usama, our designer tells you more about this experience. “I found it interesting to see how creative solutions have been devised to realize the park, also because of the budgets to integrate the underlying roads. It is great to see that ambitious young architects are given the opportunity to make a difference and that they have succeeded!”
Julian then took us downtown to admire some of the architecture and public squares here. From there we walked to a social housing project. The homes are a great inspiration for Julian and other architects from Colombia.
Andry, our supervisor, talks about what he will remember from this day. “Sometimes in my daily work I forget why I got into this business. You spend all day just putting out fires and solving problems. By visiting places that really matter and that solve social issues, I suddenly remembered again what I love about my job and why it is important.”
This day we gathered at Parque de Los Deseos, a square in the city center. We walked around for a bit and were showed this good example of how a public square can be used for various social purposes. For example, open-air film evenings are regularly organized here for the neighborhood. The Jardín Botánico, the public botanical garden, is next to the square – it was our next stop. And although the place screams luxury, it is free to enter for everyone. There is a short checkpoint, but other than that it is an accessible green oasis in the busy city.
We were then met a local architect Juan Miguel Duran, who does many projects in neighborhoods where there is a lot of poverty. He took us through one of these residential areas nearby. Emma, our Public Relations manager, talks about what this part of the program meant to her.
“The visit to this poor residential area Moravia provided a good contrast with the luxury of the botanical gardens. Which is only a couple blocks away. It was a harsh reality for the team to encounter the severe poverty of the city. At the same time, you experience how strong the social network is of people that live in this neighborhood. We visited a local social organization that creates educational programs in the area. Very special to hear what these people do. The fact that there is a strong sense of community is also reflected in all the activities organized by the local community center (centro cultural Gabriel garcía Márquez – which we also visited. During our visit there was a show from local dancing and Capoeira groups. A lot of music, laughter and kindness. What a special stop on our program.”
After a short lunch we took the cable car to Santo Domingo and continued by taxi to Carpinelo – one of the favelas in the North Eastern part of Medellín. Here we were welcomed by the local graffiti artist Elmer Inlakesh. Kasia, one of our designers, continues to tell you more about this next stop.
“It was a very special experience. While we were there the neighborhood was celebrating its anniversary, so there was such a great atmosphere there. We were invited by locals to make an artwork on one of walls nearby the festivities. Visiting this part of the city, we witnessed the resourcefulness and togetherness that made that place and its community so special. It was really interesting to see such a difference side of Medellín. And we left a mark, that I hope we get to revisit very soon!”
Everyone woke up the next morning with the positive and difficult things from the day before still stuck in their heads. But Julian already planned the next part of our program. We start with a visit to Parque Bibliotheca Belen. This public building was a gift from Japan to the city. The architect of the building was therefore also Japanese. We walked around a bit and enjoyed the peace that this place radiates.
We took a taxi to the next inspiring location, where a water reservoir has been transformed into a public park; UVA (Unidades de Vida Articulada). In the park you found all kinds of sports equipment, a theater and a viewpoint as you can see in this picture. According to Julian, transforming this place has resulted in a lot less crime at the location.
On to our next stop was Prado Park. 
“While walking through the park, I experienced a narrative journey where every turn reveals a new chapter. Old walls stand proudly, not as relics not relics trapped in history, but as essential elements seamlessly integrated into the lively, evolving fabric of the environment. New structures, purposefully introduced, act as supporting characters, shaping the narrative without overshadowing the historic elements. The landscaping emerged as a sublime collaborator, gracefully accentuating the architecture that surrounded me. Every leaf, a soft accent to the aged walls; each carefully planted plant, a vibrant punctuation to the historic narrative”, says our urban designer Kendra.
The last item on our program was a visit to Comfama. A private social company that realizes a lot of social housing in the city. They also do a lot of research and educational projects. Here we were received by Francesco Maria Orsini, Housing & Habitat Director. He told us more about the special projects they do. Lyongo: “The current practice of architecture needs more ethics and less esthetics. As Alex Gimenez said: if the city is a paella, housing is its rice. I got really inspired by the projects of Comfama. It was a great ending to a great trip with the team!”
Impression of the trip
