Origins: the city that fell on April 9
The Bogotazo did not just leave burned streetcars and destroyed stores along carrera Séptima. On that April 9, 1948, when the assassination of Jorge Eliécer Gaitán unleashed a revolt that turned entire neighborhoods to ashes, Bogotá lost its center of gravity in a single blow. The city, which until then clustered between Plaza de Bolívar and calle 26, with its rammed-earth houses and clay tile roofs, republican mansions, and a streetcar network that barely reached Chapinero, was forced to reinvent itself. What came next was not a nostalgic reconstruction, but a clean slate that buried much of the colonial city under a slab of concrete, exposed brick, and straight lines.
The architects who returned to the country in those years —many trained in Europe and the United States— brought with them the International Style: Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, the idea that form follows function. Bogotá, which in 1938 had about 330,000 inhabitants, saw its population soar to nearly 1.7 million by 1964. This demographic explosion, combined with the fire of April 9, created the perfect breeding ground for the colonial city to begin fading away under the weight of dump trucks.
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Timeline: the milestones that shaped the new Bogotá
1938: Teatro San Jorge and the modern awakening
Even before the Bogotazo, signs of change had already appeared. Teatro San Jorge, designed by architect Alberto Manrique Martín, opened its doors in 1938 east of the Los Mártires district, on avenida Jiménez. Its art deco façade, with geometric lines and a raised sign, became a landmark for a city that was beginning to see cinema as the great popular spectacle. In its best years, the San Jorge screened Mexican, Argentine, and golden-age Hollywood films, drawing audiences who lined up early. Today, although its interior was altered in 1999 when the building changed use, the original façade survives as one of the few visible vestiges of that early Bogotá modernity.
1948–1955: the reconstruction that erased entire blocks
After April 9, the governments of Mariano Ospina Pérez and later Laureano Gómez pushed urban renewal plans that, in practice, meant demolishing what remained standing in the center and replacing it with office buildings and banks. Avenida Jiménez, which had been the commercial and cultural axis since colonial times, was widened and filled with buildings of six, eight, and even twelve stories. The two-courtyard mansions, wooden balconies, and colonial eaves fell one after another. There was no heritage policy; there was an urgency to modernize.
1950–1960: the golden era of Bogotá cinema
The 1950s were, without a doubt, the golden decade of movie theaters in Bogotá. In the center and in Chapinero, dozens of theaters operated: Teatro Colombia (now Jorge Eliécer Gaitán), Teatro Faenza, Teatro Imperio, Teatro Metro, Teatro El Cid, Teatro San Jorge, Teatro Rialto. Screenings began at one in the afternoon and ended at midnight. People came in suits and ties, or dresses and hats, to see the latest premiere. Cinema had become the quintessential family outing, and the illuminated marquees of carrera Séptima were part of the city's nighttime landscape.
1951: television arrives and cinema begins to lose audiences
Television arrived in Colombia in 1954, but its massive impact was felt in the second half of the decade. The movie theaters in the center began to empty slowly. The northern neighborhoods —Chapinero, Chicó, Usaquén— gained population and new cinemas were built there, in incipient shopping centers. Meanwhile, the center was left with the oldest theaters and an audience that was no longer the same.
1960–1970: the center loses, the north wins
The construction of carrera Décima, the opening of avenida Caracas as a bus corridor, and the expansion toward the north consolidated a new urban map. The historic center ceased to be the place where the elite lived and became the space where the middle and working classes worked, shopped, and spent their days. The modern buildings of the 1950s —Banco de Bogotá, Edificio Avianca, Hotel Tequendama— remained, but the pulse of the city had moved on.
Key figures and events
Alberto Manrique Martín
A Bogotá-born architect trained at the Universidad Nacional, he was one of those responsible for introducing art deco and rationalism into the city's architecture. Teatro San Jorge is his most remembered work, but he also participated in housing projects and institutional buildings. His work represents that moment of transition when Bogotá stopped building in the republican style and began to adopt a modern approach.
Jorge Eliécer Gaitán and April 9
Beyond his political role, Gaitán is the historical hinge of this story. His assassination at the corner of carrera Séptima and calle 14 —today turned into a memorial site— unleashed the destruction of hundreds of buildings in the center. Without that fire, the city would likely have modernized more slowly and with greater respect for what existed. The Bogotazo was, in urban terms, the accelerator of a transformation that was already underway.
Le Corbusier and the visit that never happened
The Swiss-French urban planner was invited to Colombia in the 1940s, and although his plan for Bogotá was never fully executed, his influence was felt in how local architects thought about the city: functional zones, housing towers surrounded by public space, expressways. That mentality —the city as a machine— guided the reconstruction of the 1950s.
The Colombian Society of Architects
Founded in 1934, the SCA was the space where modern ideas were discussed and promoted. Its publications and events helped a generation of Bogotá architects adopt concrete, glass, and steel as everyday working materials. Today the SCA organizes guided tours of Bogotá's modern architecture, a practical way to see what remains of that era with fresh eyes.
Current state: what remains of 1950s Bogotá
The colonial city did not disappear entirely, but it was reduced to a handful of blocks in La Candelaria and a few isolated buildings in the center. What does survive, though sometimes mistreated, is the modern architecture of the 1950s: office buildings with brick façades and horizontal windows, theaters with marquees that no longer light up, and an avenida Jiménez that still preserves part of its original layout.
Walking through these vestiges today is an experience that invites reflection on urban history. In this verified Malokal guide, you can find updated information; use the interactive cards for each place on malokal.com to check the safe map by neighborhood (Locals vs. Foreigners) and holiday schedules. The information we mention is for reference and may change.
Teatro San Jorge
It is the most visible survivor of that early modernity. Its art deco façade, with the original sign and geometric lines, still stands on avenida Jiménez, on the edge of Los Mártires. The interior is no longer a movie theater: it was altered in 1999 and today functions as commercial and office space. It is worth stopping in front of the façade and looking up: it is one of the few art deco examples left in the center. The surrounding area is a quick pass-through zone, so visiting during the day and with caution is recommended. There is no box office or screenings; it is an exercise in urban archaeology.
Avenida Jiménez
La Jiménez is the axis where the complete transformation can be read. In a stretch of just a few blocks, you go from restored colonial buildings to office towers from the 1950s and 1960s, and then to popular commercial storefronts. Walking it from east to west, from carrera Séptima to carrera Décima, is like traversing a cross-section of Bogotá's urban history. It is free, open 24 hours, but it is recommended to do it during the day. On weekends there is less traffic and more space to look up.
Teatro Jorge Eliécer Gaitán
Formerly called Teatro Colombia, this building on carrera Séptima is one of the great survivors of the golden era of Bogotá cinema. Its modern architecture and large capacity made it a venue for premieres and mass events. Today it functions as a cultural center and performance hall, with programming in cinema, theater, and music. It is a good example of how a 1950s building can stay alive if given a cultural use. It is recommended to check the schedule before going.
Teatro Faenza
Located in La Candelaria, the Faenza is another of the theaters that experienced the boom of cinema and then fell into abandonment. Its façade and interior preserve original elements that make it an object of study for architects and heritage enthusiasts. Today it functions as an independent cultural space, with alternative programming in cinema, music, and performing arts. Admission to many of its activities is affordable or free on certain days. It is a must-stop for anyone wanting to understand how an old theater is recycled without erasing its history.
Edificio Avianca
Inaugurated in the mid-20th century, the Edificio Avianca was for decades the tallest building in Colombia and a symbol of modern optimism. Its glass and concrete façade, right in the center, remains a landmark. Today it houses offices and access is restricted, but it can be appreciated from the street or from neighboring buildings. It is a sample of how Bogotá wanted to resemble the great capitals of the world in the 1950s.
Hotel Tequendama
Another icon of that era. The Tequendama, on carrera Séptima at calle 26, was the most modern hotel of its time and is still in operation. Its architecture, its halls, and its location made it the place where artists, politicians, and businesspeople passing through Bogotá stayed. Today it preserves part of that air of another era. You can go in for a drink at its bars or restaurants, although it is recommended to check hours and prices directly.
Plaza de Bolívar and La Candelaria
La Candelaria is what remains of the colonial city, but even there modernity left its mark. Around Plaza de Bolívar coexist the Capitolio Nacional, the Catedral Primada, and the Palacio de Justicia, alongside office buildings from the mid-20th century. Walking through La Candelaria is observing that tension between the old and the new. It is a zone s
