Bogotá in the 20th Century in 5 Buildings: Modern Architecture Few Tourists Visit

Origins: Bogotá as a Laboratory of Modern Architecture

While tourists crowd the cobblestone streets of La Candelaria looking for the perfect photo at Plaza de Bolívar, just a few blocks away another Bogotá unfolds—one that breathes modernity through concrete, steel, and glass. This transformation took place between the 1930s and 1970s, when the city ceased to be a provincial capital and became an urban laboratory. Architects trained in CIAM (International Congress of Modern Architecture), who debated with figures like Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer, arrived to experiment with a radical idea: that the city could be organized by functions, not by entrenched traditions.

That modern Bogotá is alive, and it deserves to be explored. Although there is no official tourist route connecting it, many of these buildings are free or low-cost to access, and can be visited in a single morning. The starting point is Centro Internacional, the financial heart that emerged from this architectural fever. From there, five buildings tell the story of Bogotá's 20th century better than any museum.

Timeline: How Bogotá Became Modern

The arrival of modern architecture in Bogotá was not a whim, but a response to necessity. Industrialization and mass migration from the countryside to the city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries burst the colonial layout: the city could not contain its own growth. Thus a new architectural language was born, based on geometric forms, open spaces, and the functional separation of the urban fabric into housing, commerce, transportation, and leisure.

• 1930s–40s: The first architects trained abroad broke with academicism and neoclassicism, giving way to the first office buildings with concrete structures.
• 1950: Swiss urban planner Le Corbusier visited Bogotá and presented the Plan Piloto, a project that proposed modernizing the city, transforming the layout of the center. This was the key moment when the city began to be thought of as a functional organism.
• 1950s–60s: Boom of Colombian modern architecture; major institutional and office icons were built. The city grew northward following the new model.
• 1970s–80s: The architectural discipline consolidated as an autonomous profession. Figures like Rogelio Salmona reinterpreted brick and public space, creating a distinct identity no longer copied from Europe.
• 1990s onward: With the arrival of neoliberal policies, architecture diversified. 20th-century buildings began to be valued as heritage, leaving behind the idea of being mere vestiges to be demolished.

Key Figures and Events

There are three names that explain much of what we can visit today: Le Corbusier, who although he never built in Bogotá, left the legacy of the 1950 Plan Piloto, planting the conceptual seed. Rogelio Salmona, the Bogotá-born architect who studied with Le Corbusier in Paris and returned to build his own body of work, recognizable for his use of exposed brick, curved ramps, and the integration of water into his designs. And CIAM, the international network that connected local architects with global avant-gardes, legitimizing the idea of a functional city.

However, the key event is not a building, but a change in mentality: Bogotá stopped copying European styles and began producing its own version of modernity, adapted to its climate, its light, and its brick.

The Five Buildings (and One Park) That Tell the Story of the 20th Century

Planetario de Bogotá

The Planetario de Bogotá, one of the icons of the 1960s, is one of the most underrated stops for visitors. Located in Parque de la Independencia, its dome is a clear example of how local modern architecture appropriated pure geometric forms for scientific and educational purposes. Over time, it has been restored and now functions as a cultural and astronomical outreach center, offering projections, exhibitions, and activities for all.

It is important to clarify a myth circulating online: Parque de la Independencia does not have underground vaults, secret tunnels, or visitable bunkers. Its true attractions are the Quiosco de la Luz (1910) and the Planetario itself. Any guide promising "hidden tunnels" beneath the park is selling illusions. You can walk through the park on foot, admire the Quiosco, and enter the Planetario, which usually has affordable prices and free admission days or reduced rates for students. It is recommended to check schedules and programming before visiting, as shows change by season.

Biblioteca Virgilio Barco

If you can only visit one building on this list, make it this one. Biblioteca Virgilio Barco, located in Parque Simón Bolívar, is Rogelio Salmona's masterpiece and probably the best example of 20th-century Colombian modern architecture. Salmona designed a space that does not impose itself on the landscape: it sinks, curves, and integrates with water and greenery through ramps, courtyards, and reflecting pools, making walking through its interior part of the experience.

The exposed brick, Salmona's signature, creates a warm texture that contrasts with the coldness of other modern buildings. This library is free and open to the public, ideal for reading, studying, or simply sitting to contemplate how light plays on the walls. It is open to the public during library hours (it is recommended to check before going, especially on holidays). It is a perfect plan for a quiet morning, far from the bustle of downtown.

Edificio Avianca

Edificio Avianca, in Centro Internacional (near Carrera 7 with Calle 16), was for decades the tallest in the country and a symbol of Bogotá's modern optimism. Its imposing facade and vertical volume marked the city's skyline in the 1960s and 70s. Today, it remains a testament to that era when Bogotá aspired to resemble the great capitals of the world.

Although its upper floors are not always accessible (it is a private office building), it is worth admiring from the street and from the neighboring buildings of Centro Internacional, which house the highest density of modern architecture in the city. It is an unmissable destination for architecture photographers and for those who wish to understand how "progress" was visualized in Bogotá's 20th century.

Centro Internacional (Urban Complex)

More than a simple building, Centro Internacional is a complex that functions as an open-air museum of Bogotá's modern architecture. Here are concentrated office towers, banks, and hotels built between the 1950s and 70s, with glass, concrete, and aluminum facades that defined the city's corporate language. Walking through its streets is understanding how CIAM and Le Corbusier's Plan Piloto influenced the functional organization of space: here commerce and finance, there housing, beyond that leisure.

This area is freely accessible, ideal for strolling on weekdays (weekends tend to be more deserted) and for observing architectural details that often go unnoticed: latticework, cantilevers, external staircases. There is no single entrance or specific schedule: it is the street itself. It is suggested to go calmly and, if you are interested in history, look for the guided tours occasionally offered by the cultural sector.

Quiosco de la Luz (Parque de la Independencia)

Although it is not a modern building (it dates from 1910), the Quiosco de la Luz is the piece that connects the Bogotá of the early 20th century with the modernity that would come later. Located in Parque de la Independencia, next to the Planetario, it is an example of iron and glass architecture imported in its time, now restored and used for cultural events. Seeing it in person helps understand the leap: from the 19th-century city of pavilions and kiosks to the functional city of towers and libraries.

The park is free and open to the public, a perfect space to rest between stops. And, again, no tunnels or underground vaults; those stories are nothing but myths.

Current Status: What Can Be Visited Today (October 2026)

The good news is that most of these places are alive and open. Biblioteca Virgilio Barco and Planetario de Bogotá function as active cultural facilities with regular programming. Centro Internacional and Edificio Avianca remain office and commercial areas, walkable on foot. Parque de la Independencia is a public space open year-round.

The bad news is that there is no official, signposted tourist route connecting all of this; you have to put it together yourself. However, several points are relatively close: Centro Internacional and Edificio Avianca are connected on foot; the Planetario and Quiosco de la Luz are in the same park; Biblioteca Virgilio Barco is a bit further west, in the Parque Simón Bolívar area, and can be reached by TransMilenio or taxi/app.

A practical tip: to move between downtown and Biblioteca Virgilio Barco, the TransMilenio system is the most economical option, although during rush hour it can be very crowded. The active mobility apps in Colombia are Rappi and Didi Food for deliveries, and for transportation you can use the taxi apps that continue operating (Beat and iFood ceased operations in the country since 2022, so don't count on them).

Suggested Walking Itinerary (One Morning)

1. 8:00 a.m. – Centro Internacional: start walking through the modern towers. Observe facades and details. It is the best time because there is less traffic and the light is ideal.
2. 9:00 a.m. – Edificio Avianca: a few blocks away, admire it from the street and the passages of the area. A must-take photo!
3. 10:00 a.m. – Parque de la Independencia: walk to the Quiosco de la Luz and Planetario de Bogotá. If there is a show or exhibition, go in.
4. 11:30 a.m. – Transfer to Biblioteca Virgilio Barco: take TransMilenio or a taxi/app toward the Parque Simón Bolívar area.
5. 12:00 p.m. – Biblioteca Virgilio Barco: tour the building, sit by the water, and close the morning calmly.

If you are looking for more historical context and detailed maps, the Instituto Distrital de Patrimonio Cultural (IDPC) publishes guides on Bogotá's architecture and heritage. Consult their official materials to download updated maps and complement your route. Remember to always check schedules and rates before heading out, as they can change by season and holidays.

Bogotá is not just La Candelaria. It is also this city of brick, concrete, and glass that was built in the 20th century and is still there, waiting for those who take the time to look at it with different eyes.

Timeline or Historical Milestones

1938 - Edificio de La Previsora

This emblematic building, with its Art Deco style, was one of the first skyscrapers in Bogotá. Its innovative design marked a milestone in the city's modern architecture. Insider Tip: Observe the details on the facade; the frescoes adorning the building tell the story of the evolution of insurance in Colombia.

1948 - Universidad Nacional Building

La Universidad Nacional, with its imposing ar