This project inaugurates the partnership between the associated architects [Alexandre Brasil and Carlos Alberto Maciel] and Éolo Maia and Jô Vasconcellos. The collaboration was so enjoyable that it was soon repeated in the competition for the 4th Usiminas Prize – Headquarters of the Corpo Art Center, in Nova Lima, MG.
The images of this project were developed through a hybrid process, in which printed renderings received hand drawings by Éolo Maia, who, drawing on his Ouro Preto memories, was able to depict with great richness of detail the festivities and rituals of the Franciscan order.
1. Introduction
San Francisco Square is an urban site that bears witness to the evolution of a civilization, configuring itself as a defined landscape. It is therefore essential to preserve the identity and character of the place not only in its physical structure but also in its sociological and cultural aspects, seeking its integration into the living process of urban development.
The user is considered an active and participating agent, while the square becomes an element that dialogues with all the characters of the urban setting, constructing itself and reflecting its image.
The scarce documentation does not allow for a faithful reconstruction of the churchyard, nor are there other remaining traces. The drawing by Rugendas provides valuable testimony, offering a panoramic view of the square in the 19th century and serving as the basis for the proposed reconstruction, which rescues the original design through notions of evocation and creation, with the aim of revealing and preserving the aesthetic, historical, and functional values that persist in collective memory.
The proposed intervention, in addition to being seen, was conceived to be experienced and fully enjoyed, ensuring the integration of the two cultures that formed the Cusco people who inhabit it today. It also seeks to create new relationships between space and people, reestablishing original perspectives through the restoration of the natural slope of the terrain.
The New Design of San Francisco Square Origins and Concepts
Cusco culture is the result of a fusion of influences. Different forms of spatial structuring can be found in historical urban cores, where colonial constructions were erected over, or in conjunction with, the lithic blocks of Inca buildings. The attempt to integrate the two main strategies of spatial and landscape organization — the orthogonal and abstract grid of Spanish courtyards and squares, and, on the other hand, the curvilinear platforms of Inca constructions, organically integrated with nature and respecting topography — constitutes the main guideline of the new square design.
The integration between these distinct layouts occurs through the reconstruction of the atrium of the Church of San Francisco, recovering its original accesses and vertical markers, rebuilt in ashlar stone, and repositioning the existing bays. The new design departs from the atrium, emphasizing the axis that connects the main church entrance to the central element organizing the monumental staircases. From this point, the layout gradually evolves toward a logic of gentle curves that reinterpret Inca strategies of topographic integration. Thus, subtle movements in the terrain are created, accommodating integrated street furniture and new possibilities of access to the underground level — ramps for vehicles and buses and a “basin” for pedestrian access to boarding and parking.
Water is another essential element of the landscape. Its presence, constant throughout the history of the square — from the fountain depicted in the 1643 plan, supplied by Lake Piuray, to the ornamental fountain of 1991 — is reinterpreted as an inclined sheet of water that also functions as a guardrail for the “basin,” reflecting the image of the temple for those arriving via Mesón de la Estrella or Márquez streets.
The search for simplicity and for the valorization of the atrium and monuments as structuring elements of urban space — evoking the large void represented in Rugendas’ drawing — guides the remodeling strategies. Among the adopted measures are: I) the recovery of the square’s natural slope, eliminating raised platforms and emphasizing the temple, the convent, the atrium, the Inca terrace Chaqnapata, and the Arco de Santa Clara; II) the harmonious integration of ramps leading to the underground level, using the same material as the pavement; III) the removal of the botanical garden, relocating it to more appropriate areas — such as the slope of the Saphy River or the grounds of Granja K’ayra; IV) the replacement of the lighting system, eliminating vertical poles and adopting fixtures embedded under benches, steps, and in the water sheet; V) the use of a single paving material — local limestone — combined with native grasses.
Stone and Vegetation
The combination of stone and native grasses constitutes a fundamental strategy to unite the two modes of spatial organization — from the aridity of Spanish squares to the organic integration of vegetation in Inca ruins.
This choice is justified by several factors: I) the low cost of the material, extracted from the Cretaceous formations of Yunkaypata, near the city; II) the Cusco tradition of stone use, present in ancient buildings and historic pavements; III) visual continuity and unity, restoring the broad scene depicted by Rugendas; IV) flexibility of spatial use, enabling multiple occupations; V) integration of urban furniture — benches, steps, and waste bins — into the material; VI) ease of maintenance and the possibility of drip irrigation; VII) the dignity acquired by stone over time and seasonal variations in color and texture, revealing pedestrian paths and flows without compromising the square’s design.
Uses
The simplicity and continuity of the paving reinforce the multiplicity of uses of the square. The space can host everything from small gatherings and everyday activities to large events — fairs, processions, performances, and religious or cultural celebrations. Among them are the Bread Fair on Holy Thursday, the procession of the Lord of Miracles, health campaigns, and the Andean Christmas Fair of crafts and herbs. The underground facilities — with shops, restrooms, and parking — support this intense urban vitality, consolidating the square as a living public space integrated into the contemporary life of Cusco.
