Construction of the El Falansterio Residential Cooperative Building in Puerta de Tierra
Description
Construction of the El Falansterio building by the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration (PRRA). It is visible that the building is in an advanced stage of construction. There is falsework, machinery being used for construction, workers maneuvering on top of the building, and a zinc fence covering the entire area where the building is being raise. In the surrounding area there are other buildings, one of which reads: "Pyramid Products Inc.", a sidewalk with a gate, men walking down the street, automobiles, and a gas station. There is also a sign indicating: "Robert R. Prann Contractor".| Origin Name |
PRA 0016 F0002
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| Relation |
Archivo de Arquitectura y Construcción de la Universidad de Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration > Cartapacio 3
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| Geographical Coverage |
San Juan
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| Date |
1937
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| Descriptive Notes |
Title assigned by the cataloguing team. The general description contains information provided by the Architectural and Construction Archive of the University of Puerto Rico (AACUPR). Right at the bottom of the image it reads: “195 Fernández Juncos Ave. and Matías Ledesma St. March. 17, 1937”.
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| Descripción decolonial |
The construction of El Falansterio by the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration (PRRA) marked a significant moment in Puerto Rican housing rights and the cooperative movement. Completed in 1937, this project aimed to provide safe, affordable housing for residents displaced from the La Perla and Miranda slums. Designed by US architect Robert Prann and Puerto Rican architect Jorge Ramírez de Arellano, the complex features 216 units in 18 buildings, emphasizing durable, hurricane-resistant construction. The design included communal spaces and amenities such as a community center and recreational areas, fostering a cooperative living environment. The project reflects the complex colonial and decolonial legacies at play. The PRRA, a New Deal agency, sought to address the island’s housing crisis, intertwining efforts of modernization with colonial oversight. While the initiative aimed to improve living conditions, it also imposed external governance systems. This is hinted at in the construction site´s surroundings, featuring American products. Here, at this early stage, US automobiles on the street and blurred figures walking around we see an capitalist-colonialist vision of a US-tropical metropolis. Yet, the proceeding history of the housing project would also work to undo such singular readings. The subsequent conversion of El Falansterio into a cooperative in the 1940s empowered residents, allowing them to purchase their homes and foster a sense of ownership and community self-determination, a step toward decolonial self-governance amid broader systemic constraints.
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| Colaborador |
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| Historical Background | |
| Architectural Subject |
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| Decolonial Subject | |
| Rights |
English Rights. (hyperlink)
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| Editor |
Fundación Luis Muñoz Marín
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| Resource Format |
JPEG
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| Resource Type |
Image
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