Architecture Classics: Julio Mario Santo Domingo Cultural Center / Bermúdez Arquitectos

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In theaters, the technical and spatial deployment is astonishing. Consistent with a long stage tradition, the auditorium with a horseshoe layout maintains a maximum distance of 22 meters between the audience and the actors, a measurement that allows for recognizing gestures. While the large stage provides all creative possibilities for theatrical directors, the backstage area is managed with the rationality typical of a production area.In the constructed ensemble, and particularly in the reading rooms, the treatment of light is fundamental. Thanks to the intentional separation between plates and walls, it is possible to anticipate that sun rays fall upon walkways rather than spaces. In the children's reading room, a sculptural skylight provides white surfaces at a 45-degree angle that reflect sunlight, avoiding direct contact.The Cultural Center, a donation from the Santo Domingo family, houses two main activities situated on either side of a high-ceilinged lobby that captures northern views and sunlight. On the left side of the central space, marked by a cloakroom, there is a megabiblioteca from the Bibliored system. On the right, indicated by a ticket booth, there are two theaters: one with an experimental nature for 400 people, and another for multiple uses with variable acoustics, capable of hosting opera performances for 1300 people. In the basement, there are 320 parking spaces and technical services.The intervention project includes the design of the Julio Mario Santo Domingo Cultural Center and Public Library, as well as the 6-hectare San José de Bavaria recreational park. With its completion, a new recreational and cultural hub was established for the Suba area and the city.The materials utilized in the complex are durable. The light-colored concrete reflects the Bogotá light and doesn't demand maintenance. However, this same brightness of the bush-hammered limestone aggregate hinders its application on stages. The theaters presented here contrast materially from the rest of the cultural complex due to a reddish additive integrated into the exposed concrete in both interior and exterior spaces. Meticulous craftsmanship with formwork leads to numerous aesthetic and practical innovations. For instance, the cavities left by the formwork in the walls transform into delicate apertures for the passage of light, achieved by inserting small test tubes with double caps.The proposed building within the park is set back 40 meters from the road due to the existing eucalyptus trees. Within this setback, public spaces are developed, featuring vegetation and pavement with varying colors and textures, as well as a staircase for transit and relaxation.