OMA's Masterplan Chosen for New Bogotá Civic Center

OMA's New York office will design the Bogotá Centro Administrativo Nacional (CAN), led by partner-in-charge Shohei Shigematsu in collaboration with local Columbian firm, Gomez + Castro. Winner of an international design competition, OMA's CAN will firstly serve as a new civic center, but the 680 acres of mixed-use development will also include educational facilities, cultural venues, retail and residences.

Situated at the midpoint of Bogotá's main axis, Calle 26, CAN's site is already symbolically significant, in line with the corridor that exhibits Bogotás history from historical downtown to international airport. Its mixed-use program is split into office, governmental, and educational zones, connected from end to end with a green path that will extend into Bogotá's CicloVía cycling and pedestrian network.

The design aims to integrate not only civic and public life, but also coordinate nearby destinations. According to Shigematsu, “Our proposal enables CAN to be a lively node, providing a continuous public domain that curves through the site to connect the park, the university and Calle 26. With a single gesture, the arc achieves a clear urban identity while accommodating programmatic diversity.”

CAN is historically significant for two more reasons: firstly, the proposal would effectively change the location of Bogotá's downtown center, originally masterplanned by Le Corbusier (1947-1951). Secondly, CAN is slated to become Latin America's second largest institutional masterplan -- Oscar Neimeyer's Brasília being the largest.

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OMA's recent collaboration with Marina Abramovic.