2022
MCHAP
Comando de Policía Metropolitana de Bogotá (MEBOG)
Camilo Avellaneda
Bogotá, Bogotá, D.C, Colombia
December 2023
AUTOR PRINCIPAL
Nelson Camilo Avellaneda Valcárcel (Principal Architect), Cindy Jiménez Flórez (Co-Director Architect)
AUTOR CONTRIBUYENTE
CLIENTE
Bogotá City Hall, Secretary of Security, Coexistence, and Justice
FOTÓGRAFO
Consorcio de Seguridad Urbana Distrito Capital
OBJETIVO
The new organization of the police in Bogotá proposes the strategic relocation of the central command to a large complex of 46,000 m2 that allows for offering services currently provided in a fragmented manner with obsolete infrastructure. It suggests a transformation of the institution that includes new ways of relating to the citizenry.
The arrangement of the building blocks within the premises proposes a linked sequence that starts in the west with a public garden square, transitions to the most restricted area in terms of use, and ends in a public park in the eastern extreme.
The program is divided into three segments that operate autonomously and complement each other: A) The platform at level -3.80, B) The atrium housing the administrative and operational units, and C) The multipurpose hall with activity areas open to the city.
The arrangement of the parts allows minimizing energy consumption in a building operating 24 hours a day. The ventilation system is natural up to 98%, and the arrangement of architectural elements allows natural light to be present in all spaces.
Materials used: The outer envelope of the office block consists of 73,000 ceramic pieces woven with stainless steel cables that regulate environmental factors inside the building and allow for a smooth integration into the site.
CONTEXTO
The new headquarters of the Metropolitan Police in Bogotá MEBOG proposes to improve citizens' perception through the modernization of the building and surrounding area. MEBOG suggests an infrastructure that frames the landscape and implies the recovery of the San Francisco River, establishing a dialogue with adjacent urban structures. The northwestern and eastern flanks are comprised of residential buildings; the south by industrial buildings which will be relocated to the periphery, and on the western end, activities such as multipurpose classrooms and a church will be used by the neighborhood residents.
ACTUACIÓN
MEBOG commenced operations in January 2024. As a major intervention, it has managed to blend in within an environment where 95% of residential buildings are constructed with bricks and concrete structures. The presence of new vegetation through gardens, courtyards, and parks strengthens the ecological structure and promotes a swift recovery of the river. The neighborhood residents welcome its presence with enthusiasm, recognizing the opportunities it brings through the new elements of public space.
