These rocks...

have neither fallen from the sky nor have they been excavated out of the ground. No apes are running around and touching them either. This sci-fi fortress is actually the cultural center of Santiago Domingo, Colombia. Architect Giancarlo Mazzanti has really turned our expectations of the proper use of glass, steel and stone upside down with this one.

At first these three brutal blocks look alien, disfunctional and foreboding. But at second glance there is this strange draw that forces us to go near and explore it. And is there a better way to encourage visitors to go inside than to build something that does not give the impression of owneship and the need to show-off?
The often attempted "merging" of technology and nature is captured in a baffling way. This is no pseudo-organic blob which tries to wear its conciousness and intention on its sleeves. Those three rocks appear to be "made" but they don´t give away by whom, why and when. Time just bounces off its sleek outline. This is truly timeless architecture.

A bit dissapointed I must say that the interior appears to be far more conventional and a product of its time: wide, open and light, it could be a bank, a nightclub, an airport or a cultural center.