Yesterday I decided to visit a place I wanted to photograph for a while, the first public housing project in Puerto Rico, done as part of the PRERA (the Puerto Rico Emergency Relief Administration) in 1933, providing funds to stimulate the economy and build infrastructure improving living conditions in the island.
“El Falansterio” sports a fantastic Art Deco style, the structure itself rounds the lot with 6 gated entrances, doubling as a barrier while enclosing a grand courtyard. Both the inside and outside can be observed by balconies, accessed from the hallways and shared by two apartments
The exposed concrete leaves a grayscale view with accents of color around you, from flowers, ironwork, or from vibrant chairs, restored and placed in the many balconies as a result of the mission of Espacio Común in reestablishing a sense of community through the ever-present element of Puerto Rican architecture, the balcony.
That same day I had the pleasure of meeting Michelle Gratacós (founder of the project) and her partner, Jesús ‘Bubu’ Negron (Puerto Rican artist) with a mutual connection of Carolina Cestero, a trusted consultant of the project who I met back in the high school days when involved with the newspaper.
BellezzoNero 