Arquitectura Art Decó en Guayaquil, década del ´40: caso de estudio Edifico Carlos Hurtado

The ART DECO style, and its two variants, Zig-zag Moderne, which originated in Europe, and Stream Line Moderne, which originated in the United States, arrived in Guayaquil's architecture belatedly, around the first half of the 1930s, nearly 10 years after the 1925 Paris Exposition. This phenomenon in Guayaquil's architecture was evident until the end of the 1940s, with the facades of some buildings in Guayaquil appearing to feature both Art Deco styles, Zig-zag Moderne and Stream Line Moderne, a phenomenon shared with several cities in the United States, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere. In some cases, the buildings featured ornamentation with regional aesthetic contributions. The objective of the research was to analyze the formal aspect of the Carlos Hurtado Flor building, which is one of the buildings that would present the ART DECO style. The facade of this construction would present principles and characteristics of Zig-zag Moderne. To this end, a qualitative approach of descriptive scope was applied, based on direct observation and the analytical-synthetic method. The results demonstrated the presence of narrow windows, vertical moldings, stepped finishes, ornamentation from past cultures, and rigorous symmetry on the façade, elements that confirmed the integrity of the ART DECO style on its main façade. In conclusion, the study provided a scientific documentary basis that favored the recognition of the ART DECO building as an essential part of Guayaquil's modern heritage, in addition to establishing the need to implement digital recording technologies for the preservation of its architectural memory