El Alto Cholets
28 May, 2015 | Emily Cashen
Urban living, Lifestyle, Enterprise & Industry and Indigeneity
ILLUSTRATION: MARCELO VILLEGAS
Against a backdrop of half-finished houses and buildings fashioned from exposed red brick, El Alto's Neo-Andean Cholets are almost impossible to ignore. From their blindingly bright exteriors to their experimental proportions, these vibrant constructions are the architectural antithesis to the surrounding cityscape. While each creation has a unique identity, the buildings are stylistically linked through their use of Andean motifs - be it a Chakana cross above a doorway or a mural of a condor. This nod to indigenous heritage and the cholets' impressive price-tags make these mini-mansions especially appealing to El Alto's emerging Aymara bourgeoisie.
