Bolivian Houses: Materials And Unique Architecture

Bolivia's architecture is a reflection of its history, culture, and religion, and has been influenced by various cultures over time. The country's housing landscape is diverse, with indigenous, colonial, and modern architecture coexisting. Bolivian houses vary in style and materials, depending on the region and cultural influences.

Spanish Colonial architecture

The predominant style of architecture in Bolivia is Spanish Colonial, with slight regional variations. This style is typical of towns and cities settled by Spanish Conquistadors, who replicated their construction style throughout South America.

Spanish Colonial-style houses in Bolivia are built in a rectangular fashion with an open patio or courtyard in the middle, around which all the rooms are built. Covered walkways, supported by columns or posts, surround the courtyard, allowing residents to walk around the house while staying dry during rain. Sometimes, these houses feature two patios: one in the front, which may include water fountains and fruit trees, serving as a reception area for guests and a resting place in the afternoons, and another in the back, used for storage, corralling animals, and servant's quarters.

The walls of these houses were typically made with adobe (mud mixed with straw) and covered with plaster. The roofs were almost always made with red clay roofing tiles or shingles made from cooked mud. Occasionally, roofs would be covered with straw or other materials native to the area.

Spanish Colonial houses in Bolivia were generally not decorated extensively, reflecting the Spanish and their descendants' appreciation for simplicity. The furniture was heavy and solid, featuring straight lines and minimal carvings or applications.

In cities such as Sucre, Potosí, and Cochabamba, entire towns showcase Spanish Colonial architecture. Additionally, most major cities in Bolivia have a "casco viejo" or "historical centre" that preserves this style, and some rural towns also retain their Colonial constructions.

Indigenous construction

In the central valleys, the houses of the Tarabuco ethnic group of Chuquisaca, located near the city of Sucre, are typically small, with one or two rooms, adobe walls, tiny windows, and medium-sized doors. The roofs are made from straw or red clay shingles, and the houses are often surrounded by a mid-height wall of piled-up cobblestones. Many houses also have a small back patio made of stones or sticks, used for corralling animals.

In the tropical lowlands of southeastern Bolivia, the "tentas" (Guaraní homes) are constructed from huaraguay sticks, which are strung and tied together in a compact manner and filled in with mud. The Guaraní often build a round wall of branches and loosely intertwined sticks around their homes to let the air through. Larger homes usually have outdoor kitchens with clay ovens for cooking and baking.

In the Chaco region, the indigenous construction style differs again. Here, the Chipaya people make round, cone-shaped houses called "walichi coya". They build an initial structure of hoops made from "tepe" (mud and roots) tied together with rope to create circular walls, with a small door that usually faces the sunrise. The roof is made by interweaving thola sticks (a native plant) to sustain the straw 'beams'.

In the lakeside communities, the construction style is very different. The Uru people, who live on Lake Titicaca, build their homes from "totora" reeds that grow along the shores of the lake. They use various tying techniques to construct enormous floating reed platforms, upon which they build a dry floor, layer by layer, using the same reeds. On this foundation, they build their houses, also made entirely from reeds. These platforms, or floating islands, are anchored to the lake bed with long poles to prevent them from floating away.

In addition to these traditional construction methods, Bolivia has also seen the emergence of a new architectural style known as Neo-Andean architecture, designed by indigenous architect Freddy Mamani. This style incorporates colourful pigments, large glass panels, and geometric designs, standing in stark contrast to the bare brick and monochrome of the surrounding high-altitude cities.

Modern architecture

Modern Bolivian architecture is dominated by modern and postmodern styles. Skyscrapers have risen in many cities, with La Paz and Santa Cruz being home to the country's tallest buildings.

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, a large number of impressive buildings were constructed in Bolivia. Like many countries, modern Bolivian architecture is dominated by modern and postmodern styles.

In El Alto, Freddy Mamani's "cholets" are an emerging architectural style known as Neo-Andean architecture. These buildings are an expression of cultural pride for the Aymara, one of the two largest indigenous groups in Bolivia, after centuries of oppression and racism. The buildings stand out against the cold, grey environs and the dusty, drab brick buildings of El Alto. They are soaring lime and emerald, salmon and raspberry, with geometric panels and windows like mirrors.

Mamani's cholets are not just outlandish buildings with zany colours; they also come with the promise of financial returns. In a typical cholet, the ground floor contains stalls that can be rented out to businesses; the second and third floors house a party venue; and the upper floors are residential apartments.

Another notable example of modern architecture in Bolivia is the New Bolivar Stadium in La Paz, which is currently being renovated by L35 Architects.

Freddy Mamani's cholets

Freddy Mamani is a Bolivian architect of Aymara descent. He is known for his "cholets", a unique architectural style that has transformed the cityscape of El Alto, Bolivia. Cholets are multi-storey buildings that combine commercial and residential spaces, with a focus on cultural expression and functionality.

Mamani's cholets typically feature a commercial ground floor with shops and stalls, followed by two levels dedicated to cultural activities and event spaces. The upper floors comprise residential apartments, often including the owner's residence, which justifies the name "chalet". This mixed-use design allows cholets to develop their own economy and generate revenue.

The most distinctive feature of Mamani's cholets is their vibrant and colourful aesthetic. Inspired by the traditional aguayo cloth used by indigenous women in the Andes, cholets stand out with fluorescent colours, geometric shapes, extreme angles, and abundant use of glass. The exteriors feature bold, futuristic facades with geometric panels and mirrored windows. The interiors are equally striking, with swirling ceiling fixtures, chandeliers, and vibrant colour combinations.

Mamani's cholets are more than just architectural structures; they are a form of cultural and social expression. As El Alto is home to a significant population of Aymara, the largest indigenous group in Bolivia, cholets have become a symbol of cultural pride and empowerment for this community. They represent a rejection of colonial oppression and a celebration of indigenous identity and heritage.

Critics of Mamani's work argue that it is "more decoration than architecture", and some question the connection between his designs and indigenous ancestry. However, Mamani's impact on the city of El Alto is undeniable, and his cholets have sparked a trend, with many imitations emerging across the city and beyond.

Pre-Columbian buildings

The architecture of Bolivia is closely related to its history, culture, and religion. Before the arrival of Spanish settlers, the architecture of the Tiwanaku Empire and the Inca Empire was the main representative of the architectural style of Pre-Columbian Bolivia.

The Tiwanaku Empire (400–1000) was located near the southern shore of Lake Titicaca at an altitude of 3,850 meters. Most of the ancient city sites were built from adobe, although they are now covered by modern towns, but representative stone buildings survive in protected archaeological areas. The city has impressive stone carvings and complex underground drainage systems that control the flow of rain. There are many buildings related to religion and political structure, such as the Temple Semi-underground, the terraced platform mound Akapana, Kalasasaya's Temple, and the Palace of Putuni. One of the most spectacular monuments in Tiwanaku is Akapana, a terraced platform mound with seven superimposed platforms and a stone retaining wall.

Bolivia became part of the Inca Empire in the 13th century. The archaeological site of Incallajta covers an area of 67 hectares and is one of the main Inca sites in Bolivia. It is believed that the Incas conquered much of what is now western Bolivia under their ninth emperor, Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, whose reign lasted from 1438 to 1471. Western Bolivia became one of the four Incan territories within its empire, known as Qullasuyu, with an estimated one million inhabitants. The Incas instituted agricultural and mining practices and established a strong military force and centralized political power. However, they never fully controlled the nomadic tribes of the Bolivian lowlands or fully assimilated the Aymara kingdoms.

In addition to the Tiwanaku and Inca Empires, various Pre-Columbian cultures in Bolivia developed in the high-altitude settings of the altiplano, coping with low oxygen levels, poor soils, and extreme weather patterns. The potato was domesticated near Lake Titicaca between 8000 and 5000 BC, quinoa some 3000-4000 years ago, and copper production began in 2000 BC. The earliest known cultures in Bolivia were the Wankarani culture and the Chiripa culture, with the oldest Wankarani sites dated from 1800 BC onwards.

In the western Amazon basin, the Casarabe culture was a Pre-Columbian civilization that left behind a network of cities and towns linked by hundreds of kilometers of causeways and canals. Archaeologists know little about this culture, but a recent lidar survey revealed the ruins of 11 Pre-Columbian Indigenous towns and provided new details about defensive walls and complex ceremonial buildings at 17 other settlements.

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