Venezuela: Caracas – El Centro

El Centro is the very core of Caracas and people come here just for the unique architecture alone – striking contrast of historic colonial and neoclassical churches set against towering mid-to-late 20th-century brutalist skyscrapers. Caracas experienced a massive architectural and infrastructure surge mid-century, creating some of the most striking raw concrete and high-density mega-structures in South America: some of the most striking brutalist examples are Simon Bolivar twin towers, Banco de Venezuela, Parque Central Tower, Centro Financiero Tower, and many residential skyscraper – classic brutalist cement and ugliness galore. Juxtaposing this are many colonial churches and mansions that seemingly try to hide from the grey brutalist behemoths – Palacio de las Academias, Capitolio Federal, Basílica Menor Santa Capilla, Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes, and of course the Caracas Catedral.