Architetture della memoria in America Latina

Among the architectures whose task is to remember dramatic past events or commemorate victims - the memorials - a specific typology is becoming increasingly popular, that of memory museums. This article deals with those built in recent years in Latin America to shed light on the dramatic events that took place during the dictatorial regimes that have come to power since the 1970s; some of which have recently come to an end, others are still in progress. The proximity in time of these events determines the fundamental role they play in making the truth known, thanks to the long work of commissions that have collected the documentation and testimonies of the surviving victims and those of the families of the deceased. These have played a central role not only in the reconstruction of the facts, but also in the planning and construction process to enable them to reconcile with their past. The museums described are: the Museum of Memory and Human Rights (MMHR) in Santiago de Chile designed by Estudio America (2007-2010), the Centre for Memory, Peace and Reconciliation in Bogotá by Juan Pablo Otis Arquitects (2009-2015) and the Lugar de la Memoria in Lima by Barclay and Crousse (2010-2015). Especially the last two engage processes of community participation, establish a deep connection with the memory of the places in which they are inserted, and shape narrative spaces that involve the visitor emotionally and lead him to reflection.