Ecuador's capital city, Quito, has rapidly transformed into one of South America's most exciting design hotspots, featuring an impressive collection of buildings by internationally renowned architects. The high-altitude city, which sits as the world's second-highest capital after La Paz, Bolivia, has become home to striking architectural marvels that are reshaping its skyline and attracting design enthusiasts from around the globe.
The architectural revolution in Quito is largely attributed to Uribe Schwarzkopf, a local family-owned property development company that has brought world-class starchitects to the city since the early 1970s. Their ambitious residential projects have fundamentally transformed the urban landscape, creating a unique blend of cutting-edge international design and local character. Joseph Schwarzkopf, son of the company's founder Tommy, explains that he doesn't know any other South American capital with as many star architect buildings as Quito.
Among the most notable architectural achievements is the Iqon building, a 32-story, 133-meter-tall skyscraper designed by renowned architect Bjarke Ingels. The building features hundreds of cascading concrete balconies that elegantly unfurl across its curved facade, offering panoramic views of the city's dramatic topography. From strategic viewpoints, visitors can also admire other architectural gems including Moshe Safdie's Qorner building with its distinctive stack of terraces, and Carlos Zapata's unique Unique building, which features multiple open-air floors sliced through its middle.
The company's latest project, Epiq, represents another Bjarke Ingels masterpiece - a 24-story vertical neighborhood constructed with interlocking layers of pink cement tiles and floor-to-ceiling glass panels. The building's artfully stacked design creates outdoor terraces overflowing with palm trees and succulents, serving as an ideal case study of how affluent, design-conscious residents of Quito live today. Given the city's notorious traffic congestion, partly due to its geographical layout stretching north-south along an Andean valley, residents appreciate having all amenities - including rooftop pools, gyms, shops, and music rooms - within their residential buildings.
Quito's design appeal extends far beyond modern architecture to encompass centuries of historical treasures. The city's Old Town, designated as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the 1970s, represents one of the best-preserved and most atmospheric historic centers in the Americas. Visitors can explore breathtaking colonial structures like the Plaza de San Francisco, dominated by the imposing Basilica and Convent of San Francisco, dramatically framed by the looming Pichincha volcano. The Jesuit church of La Compañía features dazzling gilded interiors that transport visitors back several centuries.
The city's commitment to preserving architectural heritage is exemplified by Casa Kohn, a modernist residence completed in 1951 by Czech immigrant architect Karl Kohn. This impressively preserved masterpiece of elegant mid-century design currently houses Kohn's niece, Katya Bernasconi, who enthusiastically shares stories of Quito's architectural evolution. The residence serves as a bridge between the city's historical architectural traditions and its contemporary design innovations.
Quito's emerging art scene centers around the vibrant La Floresta neighborhood, which serves as the beating heart of the city's creative community. The area features numerous artist studios scattered throughout colorfully painted houses, boutique stores like Villa Fauna run by ceramicist Natalia Espinosa, and converted spaces such as Impaqto, a former blues bar transformed into a collaborative coworking space. The neighborhood attracts both local and international artists, creating a dynamic creative ecosystem.
The success of international architectural projects has inspired and elevated local architectural talent, creating a competitive environment that has raised professional standards across the industry. Local firm Diez & Muller exemplifies this new generation of Ecuadorian architects who maintain strong roots in Quito while expanding their practice internationally. Co-founder Gonzalo Diez emphasizes that their work remains in constant dialogue with Ecuadorian design traditions, finding nowhere more inspiring than their home city.
Despite the city's impressive design credentials and growing creative scene, Quito faces challenges in attracting design-conscious tourists who might typically visit destinations like Mexico City or São Paulo. While Ecuador's tourism sector has grown significantly from 440,000 annual visitors in 1995 to nearly 1.3 million in 2024, most tourists use Quito merely as an overnight stop en route to the famous Galápagos Islands. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for the city to showcase its architectural and cultural offerings.
The city offers numerous compelling reasons for extended visits, including innovative restaurants, impressive museums, and high-altitude hiking opportunities through volcanic landscapes. For design enthusiasts, Quito presents a unique treasure trove of first-rate architecture spanning from cutting-edge skyscrapers and mid-century modern residences to grand colonial homes and churches throughout the Old Town. The combination of dramatic natural settings - with volcano peaks visible on every horizon and abundant green spaces - creates an unparalleled backdrop for architectural exploration.
As Schwarzkopf confidently states, Quito possesses talented young people, architects, and entrepreneurs who deserve global recognition. The philosophy of 'if you build it, they will come' appears to be taking hold, with expectations that design-conscious tourists will soon begin visiting in greater numbers. The city's unique positioning as a high-altitude design destination, combined with its rich historical heritage and emerging contemporary art scene, positions it as South America's next major cultural hotspot.
