The construction of a utopia: the bullring in Cali, Colombia (1957)

Abstract

An innovative structural design attributed to engineer Guillermo Gonzalez Zuleta was used in the construction of the Cali bullring (Colombia), commissioned in 1957. The project was clearly inspired by a dreamy proposal formulated seven years ago in the Unites States by the Hungarian engineer Paul Weidliner and the architectural firm << Raymond & Rado >>, conceived more as an exploratory exercise about the technological possibilities of reinforced concrete than as a feasible short-term solution. This article describes the essence of the original design and the way in which the construction of the building was carried out. Its conclusions emphasize the experimental nature of architecture and engineering professionals in the mid-20th century, as well as the interesting networks of transmission of knowledge and interpretation of the technological advances of that time.