For Your Peru-sal

 

   Posted by Valerie, Senior Editor

In order to keep myself from doing the blog equivalent of boring all my friends to tears with an hour-by-hour account of my September trip to Peru, I've decided to post only a handful of photos from the adventure -- strictly limited to design- and architecture-related sights* -- and to keep the commentary to a minimum. Mostly, I want to show a little of the breathtaking range of beautiful buildings you can see in Peru (as in many other Central and South American countries).

We'll start with the surprisingly modern new construction in Lima's Miraflores district...

A high-rise that overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Love this pairing of dark glass and wood.

...then cut to Cuzco and old Lima's colonial treasures...

It feels almost like a classical music composition -- so much order and repetition, but with flourishes and a distinct mood, thanks to the color.

So many angles and lines.

The Convent of Santo Domingo, built (like much of Cuzco) atop existing Inca walls and façades .

Spanish wooden balconies overlook the courtyard of Cuzco's Hotel Marqueses.

...and then to Machu Picchu's really old treasures...

*The adorable exception: Chinchillas in the Mist. (Please don't correct me if this is not, in fact, a wild chinchilla, because when would I ever get to write "chinchillas in the mist" again?)

...and a shot of the new and the old butting right up against each other.

A Miraflores juxtaposition.

A few haute-rustic eco-friendly gems round out the mix...

Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel in Aguas Calientes.

...and charming design ideas and details abound.

 

Colorful traditional blankets at the Inkaterra.

Bookshelves that double as art, also at the Inkaterra.

 

I love the inventive use of materials here. The shelves look like oven racks, and the books are all tied up with twine. (Not so practical for those who actually read.)

The rooms are designed to put the view front and center.

A pretty and practical candle display at the Inka Grill in Cuzco.

A beautifully muted, earthy color palette.

Not a decorative element per se, but the local alpacas and llamas inspire so many designers, I feel like this guy should count.

What are your favorite architectural cities to visit?

Comments

[Maria Fe Calvo-Pierce]

QUE LINDO MI PAIS!
my country is so beautiful! thanks for the great post! :D

[Susie]

I've always wanted to visit Peru (since I did a project on it in 6th grade); now I want to go even more. Definitely high up on my list.

I LOVE those bookshelves...besides the fact it would be hard to take a book out :)

www.lovebostongirl.com

[Ellen Crimi-Trent]

this looks like a fabulous place to visit!! love all the photos.

[PeaTea]

your chinchillas in the mist comment made me spit out diet coke...so funny

[Meredith]

Beautiful post!

Makes me what to visit Peru...

[Diana]

I went to Peru last summer and had a wonderful time. Your pictures reminded me of a great vacation. I especially loved their culture and textiles. I bored my friends and family too with 300+ pictures!!

[kathleen]

I suppose we should applaud the thought behind the likes of Williamsburg and Henry Ford's is it Deerfield? or Westville in Southwestern Georgia when historic preservation is the thrust to make it easy and to convert people into more attempts to preserve historic buildings... too often in the 60's Urban renewal projects buildings of architectural worth were torn down with the notion old is bad and new is good -- well the old that was torn down was around longer than the new that was built to replace it ---and now the what was new is now old but the fact the "new" was slapped together and was truly a boring building ---how any boring public building an be worthy other than there many be sooo many boring buildings they are worth studying as WHAT NOT TO DO when designing a building --- Avoid building Boring

Deferred maintenance is a nice way of saying poorly kept falling apart just like cozy is a nice way of saying small cramped no closets cottage means less than 1000 sq

ft and half bath means no bathing facilities just a commode that is rally a good one when you think about it pure fantasy actually