Sticks and Stones

­A new public library tries to heal a war-torn Colombian town.

By William Bostwick

Villanueva, Colombia, a small town 130 miles east of Bogotá, has long been caught in that country’s bloody 44-year civil war. It is known for its oil and its frequent spasms of violence; in 2001, right-wing guerrillas kidnapped 200 local farmers. Unsurprisingly, the town’s school system is in shambles. In an effort to right Villanueva’s sinking fortunes, the Colombian government turned to architecture. It’s a formula that has worked here before: Medellín, in the west of the country, sloughed off its reputation as one of the world’s most dangerous cities with an aggressive program to build more public spaces, including five libraries. So in 2005 the Ministry of Culture and the Colombian Society of Architects launched a contest to bring new libraries to three underserved cities in the oil-rich Casanare region: Yopal, Paz de Ariporo, and Villanueva. >>> Read More