QUITO, A RETROACTIVE SIMULACRUM

(Contingency plan for a volcanic eruption; Quito, Ecuador; 2002-2003)

The slopes of volcano Guagua Pichincha suffer since decades the urbanisation pressure of the informal settlements of Quito. On top of the economical and social problematic (alienation, cultural uprooting), these communities are highly exposed to ecological catastrophes (landslides, debris flows, floods).


The proposal includes a series of topographical interventions and a manual of good practice for the communities to implement, guaranteeing a safer settlement pattern.

On 2nd November 2002, the city of Quito was covered by a dense layer of volcanic ash due to an eruption. The project Retroactive Simulacrum, coordinates the different agencies that entered into action during this event and as a final result of the collaboration between strategists and citizens, a series of topographies-buildings for communal use emerge: large domes built with pozzolanic cement from the volcanic ash.