Caracas, The Informal City 2/6

The first in depth documentary to tell the inside story of the new informal urban developments, this groundbreaking film explores our changing world -- the great debate over globalization, architecture and the future of our society.


"This is not a mountain full of houses, it is a house as big as a mountain."

In Caracas, the most dangerous megacity on the South-American continent, petrol is cheaper than water, yet the rich spend billions of dollars on private security only to end up behind their own barbed wire fences.

Over the last decennia, like a magnet gone mad, Venezuela's capital has drawn in millions of migrants. Now more than four out of its six million inhabitants live in self build constructions in the informal conditions of the barrios where only the laws of the strong rule.

Caracas: The Informal City is a portrait of a city that is rapidly becoming the prototype for the exploding urbanization witnessed on especially the African and South-American continents. Here a completely new socio-political and architectonic reality has been developing.

Shot in the Spring of 2007 on location in the barrios of Caracas, the slums where Comandante Chavez has his powerbase, the film provides a unique perspective on the practice of the informal city. Caracas based architects Alfredo Brillembourg and Hubert Klumpner, founders of the Urban Think Tank.
When the concept of the city is disintegrating, as Rem Koolhaas warns us, it is up to the architect to come up with an answer. That is exactly what Brillembourg and Klumpner are after; for them the practice of the barrios directs us to the architecture's only possible future: a renewed commitment with the potential of a city build by its inhabitants.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Caracas
• The
• Informal
• City
• Rob
• Schröder
• wldplkkn
• Urban
• Think
• Tank

[bibolcs]

No offense at all but that vertical gym its only a leftover to a country with so much MONEY'S Oil's ever, 54 long years Venezuelan politicians "Milking" the Country and still "The Shacks" in the same place challenging gravity..! Unfucking belivable..! (USA)

[bibolcs]

I do have the million dollars question: Where's the Oil's money is ? what the BIG REVOLUTION of Mr Chavez has done in 14 years ? The people in the same pit hell Nasty Shacks..! since 1958 until present..! Revolution ? What revolution ? Its a shame..! sorry for Venezuelans..! (USA)

[christpunchers]

I love Venezuela

[TheComyslayer]

Fuck Chavez and fuck Socialism!!!

[RisingDead14]

SO BOARD HAVE 2 WATCH THIS 4 SCHOOL, in the United states

[Kilroytheknifesnob]

Well, looks like socialism has worked out great for them. This is sad that people living in a beautiful country with such rich natural resources endure so much poverty and suffering. They need to get rid of Chavez and his huge corrupt government bureaucracy.

[EEPALE]

MIS RESPETOS Y FELICITACIONES POR LOS DOS PERSONAJES EXTRANJEROS , QUE HACEN ESTO POSIBLE !! EN LA CIUDAD QUE UN DIA FUE EL ORGULLO DE LOS CARAQUENOS ,ME QUITO EL SOMBRERO !!! ANTE USTEDES MIL !!!GRACIAS !!!!

[Amgliv]

Problem is not the drugs or gun, problem is mind, in the building where my mother live, the boys practice futbol and baseball and consume drugs too.

Why in New Zeland, there are good professional people that consume drug and his live is normal. Los Problemas no son las drogas es la mentalidad social del venezolano, cambiando nuestra mente, cambiaremos nuestro entorno.

[Aletargo1]

@SuperNuela Te entiendo, yo no estoy generalizando, pero la mayoria del pais casi el 60% de la poblacion de caracas que vive en barrios(cerros)tienen la mentalidad alienada y son merecedores de esa peste porque aun siguen votando por el gobierno. El conflicto ideologico ya no vale de nada, yo realmente me preocupo mas ahorita por salir del pais que de quien entra en el.

[SuperNuela]

@Aletargo1 yo tambien soy venezolano y se como esta el pais,lo q realmente me molesta es el hecho de q es muy facil para una persona de otro pais leerse un articulo de google sobre Venezuela y luego opinar...tu te mereces a chavez? tu familia se merece a chavez? tu eres un "pendejete"? tu crees q Venezuela es un "paisucho" o que es q la mayoria de los habitantes se encuentran en un conflicto ideologico? pana, no se puede meter a todos en una misma bolsa y dejar q este ignorante diga lo que sea!