Modernist architect and university professor / Venezuela
Alejandro Pietri
Designer of the Ávila cable car stations and Caracas apartment buildings of the 1950s–70s1924–1992The architect
Alejandro Pietri
Alejandro Pietri Pietri (20 July 1924 – 5 May 1992) was a Venezuelan architect and university professor. Sources describe him as a follower of Frank Lloyd Wright, and he worked during the 1950s in the orbit of the Ministry of Public Works, the body behind much of the decade’s push for modern, progressive architecture.
He is best remembered for the Maripérez and El Cojo stations of the Caracas–Ávila–Macuto cable car (1956) and for a series of Caracas residential buildings and houses, several of which are now listed as national cultural heritage. He also took part in the planning for the 1960 Caracas international exposition, working with landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx on its gardens.
- Born
- 20 July 1924
- Died
- 5 May 1992
- Influence
- Described as a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright
- Key period
- 1950s–1970s, mainly in Caracas
- Recognition
- Several of his Caracas houses and buildings are declared national cultural heritage
Selected works
Buildings to know.
Photo: MissPercy, CC BY-SA 4.0
1956 · Caracas and Macuto, La Guaira
Maripérez and El Cojo cable car stations
Two terminals for the cable car linking Caracas, the Ávila mountain and the coast at Macuto, commissioned by the Ministry of Public Works. The Maripérez station (shown as it looks today, which may include later changes) is the Caracas end of the line.
1956 · El Paraíso, Caracas
Edificio Los Morochos
A multifamily building organised around a central hollow column containing a circular stair, typical of Pietri’s interest in resolving form through structure.
1964 · Los Dos Caminos, Caracas
Edificio Valencia
A residential block of 40 duplex apartments, marked by dynamic balcony forms.
1963 · San Román, Caracas
Quinta La Margarita
Pietri’s own house in Caracas, one of several private residences he designed in the city.
Image credits
- Estación Terminal Teleférico El Ávila en Mariperez, by MissPercy, CC BY-SA 4.0. View on Wikimedia Commons
Sources
This profile is compiled from public sources and written in our own words.