Documenting Republican architecture in Arequipa,Peru. spatial, constructive, and stylistic assessment of three emblematic "casonas"

Abstract

More than 50% of the buildings in the monumental area of Arequipa are from the Republican period. Close to 500 buildings, primarily domestic architecture -hence they are commonly referred to as "casonas" (big houses)- have facades that can be classified within the neoclassical, neo-Renaissance, eclectic, neo-Gothic, Art Deco, and Art Nouveau styles. Of these, 240 have been declared as Cultural Heritage. Given this reality, this research seeks to interpret the spatial, constructive, and stylistic evolution processes of significant buildings from this period to contribute to their understanding and preservation. The research has applied a methodology to classify, select, evaluate, and analyze the main characteristics of three "casonas" that currently house the Alliance Française of Arequipa, Center for the Arts of the Catholic University San Pablo, and the Arequipa Regional College of Architects of Peru, all of them significant examples of Republican period architecture that have adapted their spaces to new uses, and which were chosen based on the qualification of a larger sample. The analysis results show aspects such as the preservation percentage of the building's original fabric, above 50% in all cases, and the proportion of open space. At a constructive level, the preservation of ignimbrite ashlar structures with box walls stands out, covered with barrel vaults in two of the cases studied, and flat roofs with iron rails in one of them, with structural additions where contemporary materials comprise up to 30%. Regarding stylistic qualities, the main compositional features that assign them a stylistic value have been identified, with neoclassical language predominating.