La reforma neocolonial de la plaza de Armas. Modernización urbana y patrimonio arquitectónico en Lima, 1901-1952

Abstract

This essay illustrates how the debates surrounding the neo-colonial redevelopment of Lima’s Plaza de Armas (1940-1952) altered perceptions of the city’s urban modernization and architectural heritage. Analyzing projects dating back to the turn of the 20th century reveals that the redevelopment was part of a series of urban interventions involving the destruction of architectural heritage and the construction of major avenues and buildings. The promoters of functionalism criticized the redevelopment, causing this type of urban intervention and the neo-colonial style as «anachronistic».