Hostal y Restaurante " La Casa Mía"

History of Art Architecture

Usulután Berlin, El Salvador Central America.

We discuss a peculiar type of construction in Berlin, in eastern El Salvador. Locally known as Art Architecture, for use in exterior walls, ceilings and mezzanines in some cases of iron or steel sheets embossed, corrugated and galvanized.

This construction emerged as a fast alternative building, due to low world coffee prices, relatively low cost, which was implemented in early 1930 as many houses had to be rebuilt due to destruction of the city earthquakes and harsh winters that occurred with great frequency and intensity during that period. The buildings before this one, were of light wood, not very resistant and vulnerable to termites and weather, even though there are many historic houses in very good condition as the current Bakery "San Martín" of the family Bonilla Rodriguez as an example frozen in time now adorn our historic center.

In general, the structure of houses and buildings was performed by a stone or concrete foundation, a masonry base and a vertical frame of wood or metal frames. The outer wall was corrugated iron or iron prefabricated cut, bolted or riveted. In many cases, the lining was made with timber slats or machambras. The roofs were concluded, along with coffered ceilings and tile, or galvanized sheet metal and would outline. The floors were colored cement tiles, the ones that came to create true works of art mimicking carpets decorated in the same tiling.

According to the taste of the designer and was the development of floors, walls, gardens, and general metal applications deployed revoked, and carpentry and joinery in interior and exterior decoration. Also the application of forging and casting items, on balconies, railings, brackets and vents.

In many cases of residential architecture adapted to the concept of Spanish colonial architecture, with the configuration of rooms around a central courtyard or garden. In cases of commercial and institutional buildings, the use of imported items, reflected neo-classical influences, romanticism, and architecture characteristic of European industrialism of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Many films were imported from France, Belgium, England and the United States who developed an industry for this type of construction. In some cases even complete prefabricated buildings matter such as still standing, Hospital Rosales in San Salvador.

This interesting type of construction, it became used in more than 40% of all buildings in the historic center of Berlin, there are still many remnants, many of whom have advanced deterioration and some very well preserved. Was used additionally in commercial cities and ports, and taken to the villages they grew coffee in the same period with the rise of trade and cultivation of coffee as it is Berlin.

Current examples remaining, blade architecture in Berlin:

Veliz house (now firm Rios-Reyes), Casa Segovia family, Rivera Family House (Hostel "Casa Mia"), Casino Berliner, Casa Campos family, the family bodice House, the home of Doña Mina de Bonilla, among others that are also relevant, built mostly by the foreman Carlos Garcia, and imported from Belgium for the house Meardi, Italians living in Berlin in late 1925.

In time, this construction method replaced adobe buildings, adobe (both types of land-based construction), and other heavier masonry or unreinforced masonry, which inevitably were destroyed by earthquakes and floods. The weakness constructive Architecture Art, was the vulnerability of the wooden structure.

In El Salvador, still trembling, seated in a place known as the Valley of the Hammocks, and also remains vulnerable to flooding. This type of construction, in its basic concept, if we improve their weaknesses constructive, can be an efficient, economical and easily applicable to rebuild our cities and towns. A cultural heritage that we must preserve, care for and preserve.

"Berlin is ours, we work for"