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German Samper

Bogota, Colombia
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Colombian architect, German Samper studied architecture at the National University of Colombia, where he graduated in 1947. Shortly after, he joined the workshop of the architect Le Corbusier where he collaborated on different projects until 1954; Among them, the Cort of Justicia Building and the City of Chandigarh urban plan (India). In 1958, he was associated with Esguerra Saenz and Samper Ltda., Where he was Partner and Director of the Design Department. During the next forty years, he designed and directed the construction of several projects with this firm. Some of its most outstanding buildings include the Biblioteca Luis Angel Arango in 1957, the Gold Museum in 1963 (for which he won the National Architecture Prize), the Avianca building in 1968, the Cartagena Convention Center in 1979, The Banco de Occidente de Bogota in 1984 and the Colsubsidio Ciudadela in Bogota from 1990.

During this period, and in parallel, he began a deep research on social and productive housing and on the problems of the contemporary city, mainly Latin America; Studying additionally subjects in urban development and public space. In this process, he started with the neighborhood of self-construction "la Fragua" and from there with he has made several housing and urban design projects such as Carimagua, International PREVI Competition in Peru, Minimum Urbanization Rules, Ciudadela Real de Minas and Ciudadela Colsubsidio among others. In this regard, he has written numerous publications, mainly with Revista Escala.

He has spent much of his time to record the evolution of his thinking, the result of continuous reflection, these investigations have been recorded in a wide overview of publications that account for this process. Among them are the books "German Samper: The evolution of housing" (2003), "El Recinto Urbano" (1994), "Architecture and the City - Travel Notes" (1986). Additionally, in some compilations like the book "Latin America in its culture" compiler Roberto Segre. With the article "Responsibility of the architect", UNESCO (1975).

In 1995, he established with his daughter Ximena, G.X. Samper Arquitectos Ltda., A firm with which he is currently working.

German Samper has dedicated several years of his life to teaching. In 1956 he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of the Andes, a position he assumed until 1959. During that same period, he was a professor of Design of the faculty. In 1970 he was a guest lecturer on the course on Industrialization and Housing "made by CINVA (Inter-American Housing Center). Since then he has given several architecture workshops, among them the University of Chihuahua, the Architects College of Ecuador, the architecture school of Panama, among others.

Another notable aspect of his career is the travel sketches. Throughout his life, he has made sketches and drawings in the trips. Through them he studies and seeks to broaden his experience, to enrich the creative mind and to deepen his researchers. The travel sketches become a tool for the understanding and study of architecture and the city.

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Bogota, Colombia
daniele, June 1st, 2017
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