Downward Spiral: El Helicoide’s Descent from Mall to Prison
University of Essex Lisa Blackmore
March 6, 2019 · 12:00 pm—1:20 pm · 216 Aaron Burr
Program in Latin American Studies
Hailed in the 1950s as a beacon of Latin America’s modernist architecture, Venezuela’s El Helicoide is a futuristic fantasy gone sour. At its conception, this drive-through shopping center embodied a narrative of progress, fueled by soaring oil prices, consumerism, and car culture. Yet a very different story unfolded on its spiral ramps.
