Original architecture
The first archaeological sites discovered in Panamá contain traces of settlements, dumps (also known as basurero), shell heaps and circular or rectangular stone structures that researchers believe to be funerary or ceremonial complexes. At the mouth of the Río Tonosí, the Bucaro site features all these elements, as well as traces of temporary encampments erected by fishermen on the beach; while the La Cañaza site is home to an astonishing cemetery whose burials are organized around a cylindrical chimney 30 cm in diameter and 50 cm high, a sort of well filled with ashes and culinary waste, around which were arranged offerings and ceramics combining polychrome and chiselled decoration. More recently, researchers have unearthed two fascinating sites: the first, Sitio Conte, with its gold artefacts, provides scientists with proof of the existence of a civilization that flourished from 250 BC to the 16th century, known as the "Golden Warriors". They are thought to be the originators of the incredible Parque Arquelológico El Caño, where earthen mounds protecting tombs, as well as alignments of basalt stones and columns, have been unearthed. The most studied element is a multi-level tomb topped by a wooden roof for a chief whose remains were supported by a platform made up of 15 sacrificial slave bodies. The tomb also contains many precious objects, including gold and emeralds, a splendor that explains why these sites are often referred to as the Panamanian El Dorado.
In terms of rural housing, the pre-Columbian tradition of using natural materials to build simple, functional structures is still very much alive today. Generally speaking, dwellings are built with wooden frames and structures (sugar cane, reeds), and feature roofs, usually conical, made of woven palm leaves, with an opening at the top to let smoke escape, and with wide overhangs to protect from the sun. Palafitos can be recognized by their square floor plan, their wall panels made of branches and sticks, and their elevation on stilts, allowing them to get as close as possible to the wetlands. In the valleys, the inhabitants prefer log structures covered with a mixture of mud and built close together for protection from the windy climate. It is in these rural environments that the tradition of the Junta de Embarre is perpetuated. This involves building or renovating a house for a wedding. The whole community takes part, from the search for materials to the building itself. Their structures are made of wood, climbing plants, straw, dried grass and sugarcane stalks, then covered with mud (barro). Once dry, the house is painted and decorated. A colorful celebration of love!
Colonial architecture
Listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, the fortifications of Panama's Caribbean coast are a remarkable defensive complex that blends naturally into a landscape transformed into a strategic military defense asset. From the 16th to the 18th century, this military complex served to defend the port of Portobelo and the mouth of the Chagres River, through which the most precious materials bound for Spain passed. The first plans for fortifying the area were drawn up by the Italian military engineer Bautista Antonelli, who was also responsible for the fortifications of Havana and Cartagena. The series of batteries, terraces, platforms, forts and "castles" illustrate the adaptation of this defensive system to the evolution of artillery. Massive and crenellated, these stone structures were initially resolutely medieval. Gradually, however, they became more refined and took on a neoclassical appearance, as illustrated by Forts Santiago, Jeronimo and San Fernando. When it comes to civil and religious architecture, the best place to discover the treasures of the colonial era is Ciudad de Panamá. The capital is home to two UNESCO World Heritage sites: Panamá la Vieja - Panamá Viejo and the historic district or Casco Viejo de Panamá. Originally founded in 1519, the city went from being a colonial outpost to the seat of a royal court, a leading role that is reflected in its typical urban planning, which can be recognized by its checkerboard structure and its organization around large squares, of which the Plaza de la Independencia is the most famous; but above all in the remains of its imposing stone architecture, of which the 30 m-high cathedral tower is the finest representative. This original site is known as Panamá Viejo. But revolts, earthquakes and fires led to the city's relocation in 1673. Wishing to fortify the city and make it impregnable, military engineers chose a site close to the sea, transforming the natural elements into weapons of defense, with sea walls and moats. Surrounded by thick walls, this new city, now Casco Viejo, is still organized according to a checkerboard pattern of regular housing blocks, themselves organized around squares lined with landmark buildings, starting with the religious edifices, of which there are many. The cathedral-basilica of Santa Maria Antigua is a superb example. Flanked by two hollow towers, originally painted red and inlaid with mother-of-pearl, it is considered one of the tallest cathedrals in Latin America. See its sculpted stone façade protected by three elegant porticoes; its three naves, whose 67 cruciform stone and brick columns support the wooden vault; and above all its sacristy, the only example of a colonial building with a dome. Like many other religious buildings of the period (San José church, La Merced church, and the Salon Bolivar, which was the chapter house of the former San Francisco monastery), it bears the hallmarks of Jesuit Baroque, with its curves, arcades, colonnades and sculpted niches. In civil and residential terms, colonial architecture is characterized by stone walls, often covered with stucco in pastel colors or whitewashed, terra cotta tile roofs in ochre-red hues with protective overhangs, facades punctuated by balconies with elegantly crafted ironwork and windows protected by large wooden shutters. This civil architecture often opts for neoclassical influences, notably in the play of repetition and symmetry in the porches and entrance arches of the residences, but sometimes tinged with neo-Mudéjar borrowings (interior patios, galleries and colonnades with elegant interlacing...). The Maison Gongora and the Palacio de las Garzas (presidential palace) are two of the finest examples of this colonial Panamá.
Engineering and eclecticism
After the triumph of his Suez Canal, Ferdinand de Lesseps wanted to repeat the feat with the Panama Canal. The titanic project began in 1880. Tens of thousands of men dug with shovels, before impressive bucket excavators came to assist them in their task. So many accidents occurred that diversion canals and retention dams had to be built. The project fell behind schedule, and construction costs soared... Lesseps was forced to revise his plans and opt for a canal with locks, which would be less costly and quicker to build. Gustave Eiffel even designed innovative locks with sliding gates on rails, but the canal's first French life was a failure. The project was only revived under the impetus of the Americans, who wanted to turn the canal into a strategic and military asset. 320 m long, 33 m wide, 13 m deep and gates 25 m high: the canal's locks are monumental. A gigantism that has given rise to the Panamax, the sea giants over 290 m long that ply the canal! But maneuvering a giant on such a narrow canal is no simple matter, which is why a unique mooring system was created: ships are pulled and held in the center of the basin by electric locomotives running on rails laid out on either side of the canal. The French and Americans not only left their mark on the canal, they also left their mark on the architecture of the period.
If Panamanian cities, starting with the capital, remind you of the atmosphere of New Orleans, why not? The French reproduced this colorful mix of hexagonal, Spanish and Caribbean influences. Dormer roofs, square, symmetrical exteriors and steep roofs of thatch, stone or tile lend a French provincial air. It's worth noting that the wooden frames and structures have survived multiple fires, protected by thick layers of plaster. Tiled roofs, vast interior courtyards and patios, interior facades punctuated by loggias, and exterior facades with corbelled balconies protected by overhanging projections...: all these elements are resolutely Spanish in influence, while the lively, vibrant colors are Caribbean. Far from this highly eclectic atmosphere, the Americans opt for a stylistic sobriety matched only by the monumentalism of their structures. The Panamá Railway Station bears the hallmark of the Beaux-Arts style, while the famous Panamá Canal Administration Building blends neoclassicism (frescoes, glass dome, colonnades, symmetry) and modernism. The new town of Colon, built by the Panamá Railroad Company, is another example of this mix of styles and periods, with its San Juan Bautista Cathedral featuring Baroque curves and purity of volume, a harbinger of Art Deco. Art Deco, and its variant known as Streamline, is especially prevalent in Panamá City, which boasts many buildings with curved corners reminiscent of a ship's cabin, as well as fine public buildings such as the Teatro Balboa, with its geometric volumes alternating curves and straight lines and its beautiful calligraphy, or the National Bank of Panamá.
Vibrant contemporary architecture
Built in 1962, the Puente de las Américas impresses by its sheer size. This truss-arch bridge is 1,654 m long and stands more than 110 m above sea level. Long the only bridge associated with the canal, it is now joined by two other engineering masterpieces. Built in 2004, the Centenary Bridge is a superb 1,052 m-long cable-stayed bridge supported by two 184 m-high towers designed to withstand frequent earthquakes. Inaugurated in 2019, the Atlantic Bridge is the world's longest prestressed concrete bridge. Concrete was chosen over steel for its greater resilience in an extremely corrosive environment. Its two 212 m-high pylons give it a very aerial silhouette. The hundreds of skyscrapers that form Panamá City's skyline are certainly aerial. The capital is one of the cities with the highest density of high-rise buildings! At 293 m and 70 storeys, the JW Marriott Panamá tower is the tallest in Latin America after the Gran Torre Santiago in Chile. While most towers are of little architectural interest, others are quite impressive. Such is the case of the Arts Tower, part of the luxury YOO Panamá residential complex. Created by Philip Starck and John Hitchcox, YOO inspired by Starck has made its colourful and imaginative mark on the world's finest hotels and resorts. Here, the lobby with its astonishing golden columns imitating trees and the pretty cabanas surrounding the pool are a must. Another fantasy is the F&F Tower, nicknamed the Tornillo or Revolution Tower for its twisted helix structure, which stands out in the capital's landscape. In the shadow of these giants of glass and steel, astonishing architecture is developing. Among the finest contemporary achievements are the Panamá Diamond Exchange, with its futuristic profile and facade made of aluminum panels perforated in patterns reminiscent of the angles of a cut diamond; the Maracana Stadium, with its interplay of curves and straight lines, steel and reinforced concrete columns, steel lattice roof structure and corner cubes covered with perforated metal sheets giving them a pixelated appearance; and, of course, the Biomuseo. The latter is the only project in Latin America by the famous architect Frank Gehry. "Located at the mouth of the Panamá Canal, this space with its irregular, overlapping colored shapes reappropriates the region's tropical palette, like an ode to its biodiversity." Deforestation, pollution, Panamá is facing major climatic challenges and is seeking to turn more towards a more virtuous and sustainable architecture. Some astonishing projects testify to this desire, such as the Plastic Bottle Village, whose houses (and castle!) are designed with steel frames that are filled with empty plastic bottles for insulation and then covered with concrete. Patrick Dillon's SaLo House is another example of this recycling of materials, with its aim of recreating an ecosystem and questioning tropical architecture with this residence featuring removable transparent walls designed entirely to ensure natural ventilation. Other interesting creations include the eco-lodge Vistas Cope, whose wood and steel beams are made from recycled materials from abandoned American bases; and the Panamá Rainforest Discovery Center. The latter impresses with its visitor center built on stilts in an area already suffering from deforestation, to avoid inflicting further damage on Panamanian nature, and its observation tower that blends into the trees. It's a commitment upheld by Ocean Builders, a company specializing in marine technology. In Panama, the company inaugurated its first Sea Pods, self-sufficient, eco-restorative floating dwellings perched 3 m above sea level, thanks to a system of air-filled steel tubes that allow them to float, and which in turn become supports for new marine ecosystems. Drones, self-propelled boats to clean the ocean, robots to provide service...: the company also wants to turn its pods into a technological revolution. Panamá is at the cutting edge of renewal!
