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=**What makes Venezuela unique from an architectural or urban planning perspective?** = = = Hello, I'm Luis Mendoza and I'll do a small review of one of the most reprensentative architectural and urban works of the modernism trend and the most important of Venezuela. It is the Central University of Venezuela, designed by architect Carlos Raul Villanueva.

 Currently the Central University of Venezuela has the prestige given by the Unespo World Heritage Site, being the first campus in Latin America to receive this honor. This is why I decided to take this landmark of Venezuela to do my final project, it is also a place where you can easily see the 7 concepts that we have been working on the course.

 Below I mention how the Central University of Venezuela demonstrates the proper use of the architectural resources seen in class to create a harmonious integration between the arts.

__**color**__
 Coloris a resource thatis oftenthe starter ofmanyworks of artthat are used byarchitectsto giveartistic expression to their works,attracting attentionand stimulatingthe sensitivity ofusers.Villanuevaknew thisandthat is why he used somanypictorial compositionsin his buildings. the building w as a canvaswhere artistspaintedand where colortook the center stageinthe different spaces thatmake up theuniversity.Such isthe case ofdifferent muralsthat aredistributed throughoutthe university andas seen in thepicture 1.

 In the case ofthe universityauditorium(photo 2), the use of tainted glass,isa appropiate usefor a space thatrequires special attention andserves tomake roomfor important meetings.Theauditoriumhasthe virtue ofthe building inwhich lightand colorare fused,resulting ina space thatis impregnated inmysticismand energy. 

__**Light**__
Good managementof lightand shadowseems to bethe greatest virtue ofVillanueva.Using elementssuch as wallsdraftsasthe main tool tocreate gamesof light and shadowthat drapeson the floor andadds a touchof romance tothe hallwaysof buildings.Villanuevaalso makes useof lightto identify andtravel throughthe differentcirculation systems,such astheramp thatleadsfrom the plazadeck to thesecond level of theAula Magna in Plaza Cubierta(photo3). 

__**Acoustic**__
Without doubt the bestand most obviousexampleof acoustics managmentis the work ofCalderinthe Aula Magna.Multipleacousticproblemspresented withthe architectural design ofthe auditorium, which is why Villanueva calledthe artistAlexanderCalder, whomade​​a detailed study of the fluctuation of sound waveswithinthe structureandproposedthe placementofamoebashapeshanging from theceiling, it is thenwhen themagic and artthat characterizesthis space surges.Acoustic materialswere also usedfor the manufacture offurniture andpartitions.



__**Texture**__
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Two of the clearest examples of the use of textures that can be found in the Central University of Venezuela is the use of tiles, employed in the composition of the many murals (Photos 1 and 2), and the rough finish of the walls, ceilings and structures as a result of the reinforced concrete formwork (photos 3 and 4).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> In these cases, the correct handling of light is essential for a better reading of these textures. In the case of the tile murals it highlights the brilliance and reveals the beautiful textures that characterizes these works by the artist Oswaldo Vigas. On the other hand, the bare concrete shows its nobility as material when used without coatings in the halls of the university to demonstrate the amazing plasticity and playfulness that it has. This technique also allows us to see the scale of a structure because its texture leaves behind modular lines and drawings that serve as reference for approximate dimensions. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> = <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**__ Rhythm __** =

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> The development of an appropriate architecture for our intense tropical climate is one of the largest and most transcendent values ​​of the CUC. The idea of considering the climate as one of the essential factors to be solved by the architect. The specification and multiple solutions that Villanueva used constitute a role model for the tropics. Without doubt the use of rhythm is a successful resource to manage and control of sunlight and the establishment of spaces with order and modularity.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> In the case of the central university the “earth science” building is a clear example of the use of rhythm. It is employed through the use of beams, columns and windows (Figure 1). In the case of the university halls, the columns, lamps and shadows give us a clear reading of rhythm (Figure 2). While in other buildings the sunblockers, railings and walls are the elements that compose rhythm. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**__Vertical and horizontalcirculation __**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Afusion exist betweenthe circulation elements andthe concepts mentioned above. Stained glass, ludic ceilings, wall muralsand tile wallsaresome of the elementsthat are linkedto the circulation providing a better spacial experiencewhenthe different areas ofthe Central University are tansited.Theseare some of theclearest examples ofexistingcirculationinthe Central University.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Inthe case of thestairs that go tothe library of theFaculty of Science, a stained glass walllights, signals andreinforces the valueof this stairwhichenhancesthe value of asimplestairdoes not havethese resources.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Corridorswith highartistic valuelink thedifferentbuilding andpaths, as they provideprotection againstsunlightand rain

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Curvedrampthat allows the discovery of spacesas they aretraveled. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">__**Space and Scale**__
<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Perhaps this is the concept applied more successfully in the Central University. The spatial relationships that provide indoor spaces such as the plaza cubierta are unmatched, since the plaza is a meeting space for multiple activities and is also the element that articulates the relationship between different buildings, the auditorium, the art museum and the lecture hall (photo 1 and 2).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> In terms of scale, the buildings have a correct ratio of its size, shape and use.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> The buildings give a direct response to people using low volumes that receives the users and thus creates a transition between the various volumes that make up the buildings. Besides the frequent use of rhythm allows a quick perception of the scale of each building as it serves as a reference to the eye of users. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">

**__Conclucion__**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">As we see throughthe images, thecentralUniversityis an exampleof goodarchitecture.It is an urban developmentwhichsuccessfullymeetsall the conceptsdiscussed throughoutthe course.Nowadays It's hard tofindbuildings anddevelopmentsthat adapt andco-existwith the elementsthat characterize thetropics.The color, light, textures,sound , rhythm, movement andscalemanagementare just toolsto createbuildings.Consideration andfull understandingof climate,topography,urban scale,sociology andurban ism, are the bases of goodarchitectural practice. Once all these elements are understood,analyzedand digested, an architect can start playing withthe concepts studiedin this coursein order to achievecutting-edgearchitecture.

<span class="hps" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">It isfor this reason thatVenezueladuring the period ofmodernismestablished itself asone ofthe most developed countriesin Latin Americaand part of thatcredit goes toarchitectsCarlos RaúlVillanueva,CiprianoDomínguezand TomasSanabria. <span class="hps" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">