FROM PRINCE TO BEGGAR: THE SAD STORY OF THE 'HELICOIDE DE LA ROCA TARPEYA'

Abstract

Venezuela’s mid-20th-century oil boom spurred architectural modernization across the country, especially in Caracas. One of the most significant projects in terms of both design and history was the 'Helicoide de la Roca Tarpeya: Centro Cultural y Exposición de Industrias' (1956-1961). Located in the south-central part of the capital, this pioneering mall concept garnered international admiration for its dynamite sculpting of the Tarpeya Rock hill into a helicoid shape and encased in reinforced concrete. The Helicoide combined commercial spaces with a motorway, featuring four kilometers of vehicular ramps that encircled the structure. For political reasons, the Helicoide was never completed. Several state led initiatives–both commercial and cultural–were planned but abandoned due to shifts between the country’s two dominant political parties. The building’s two most prominent uses have been 'The Great Occupation' (1979-1982), when 500 impoverished families were relocated there due to torrential rains; and the installation of police intelligence agencies from 1985 to the present. These agencies have operated the site as a prison and torture center, especially since Nicolás Maduro came to power in 2013–a government widely criticized for systematic human rights violations. The degradation of Helicoide symbolizes the failure of modernity and democracy in Venezuela.