Cayala phase 2: Astonishing
The photo above is phase 2 — mixed-use buildings and a church tower — nearing completion in Cayalá, a new town in the suburbs of Guatemala City, Guatemala. I have to assure readers that the photo is real. The town looks like it is built for the ages and the streetscape — designed so that all of the pavement is to be shared by vehicles and pedestrians — hides modern below-ground parking. We reported in detail on phase 1 of this project in the March issue of BCT. The mixed-use buildings in phase 2 are designed by Estudio Urbano (Pedro Godoy and Maria Sanchez), the Guatemala-based Town Architects of Cayalá, with Richard Economakis of the University of Notre Dame, in collaboration with architect Leon Krier. The Campanile (tower) is by Godoy & Sánchez, the first stage of the town's church by the same firm. The developer of the project is Grupo Cayalá, who are based in Guatemala.
The plaza with the campanile is shown recently with a crowd celebrating the beginning of the Christmas season, above.
An aerial image of Cayalá and the phase 2 plaza, unfinished without the campanile, is at the lower left.
A rendering of the church, Santa Maria Reina de la Familia, with the built campanile at the far left.
Another view of the campanile
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