A icle
Colonial A chi ec u e in Panama Ci y. Analysis o he
He i age Value o I s Monas ic Buildings
An onio Cube o He nández 1,* and Sil ia A oyo Dua e 2
1Depa men o U banis ic and Land Managemen , Highe Technical School o A chi ec u e,
Uni e si y o Se ille, 41004 Se illa, Spain
2
Depa amen o de A e, Facul ad de A qui ec u a y Diseño, Uni e sidad de Panam
á
, Panama Ci y, Panama;
[email p o ec ed]
*Co espondence: a.cube [email p o ec ed]
Recei ed: 17 No embe 2020; Accep ed: 18 Decembe 2020; Published: 21 Decembe 2020


Abs ac :
The His o ic Dis ic o Panama Ci y was insc ibed on he Wo ld He i age Lis in 1997
o ep esen ing an excep ional example o 17 h cen u y colonial u ban planning in he Ame icas.
This a icle ocuses on he speci ic analysis o he de e io a ed monas ic ypology, highligh ing
i s his o ical ole as an a icula ing piece o he o iginal u ban layou designed in 1673 a e he
ans e om Panam
á
Viejo o he cu en loca ion and which con inues oday. Ou me hodology
consis ed o e iewing he di e en s ages o each o hese buildings, ex ac ing common e en s,
and iden i ying he examples o he g ea es alue loss, wi h he aim o enhancing and highligh ing
hei his o ical oo p in . This s udy includes app oaches om u banism, a chi ec u al his o y,
and he i age p ese a ion ha allows us o discuss possible ools, ei he o p o ec ion o adap a i e
euse, o a oid he de e io a ion o such impo an his o ical he i age.
Keywo ds: Panama; monas ic buildings; Wo ld He i age; his o ical dis ic ; colonial a chi ec u e
1. In oduc ion
The Republic o Panama is in he cen e o he Ame ican con inen , connec ing No h Ame ica and
Sou h Ame ica. Cooke and S
á
nchez [
1
] (p. 3) explain ha i se es as a b idge o co ido be ween hese
g ea masses and in luenced he sp ead o people, ag icul u e, and echnology, which i con inues o
do o his day. The i s se lemen o he ci y in mode n imes is known oday as he a chaeological si e
o Panam
á
Viejo. I was he i s ci y ounded in 1519 by he Spanish in he Ame ican Paci ic, nea an
indigenous ishing illage. Today, i is an a chaeological si e in he middle o a g owing mode n ci y.
In 1671, Hen y Mo gan and his pi a es a acked he ci y by land, a i ing om he A lan ic. Tha place
was bu ned, des oyed, abandoned, and used as a qua y o he cons uc ion o he new se lemen o
he wes , known oday as he His o ic Dis ic o Panama Ci y, he case s udy o his a icle.
Acco ding o i s “Re ospec i e S a emen o Uni e sal Value” [
2
], he ci y mo ed nea he Anc
ó
n
Hill looking o highe quali y esou ces in 1673. I was s a egically loca ed in a peninsula ha was
easie o de end and “close o he islands ha we e used as he po and nea he mou h o a i e ha
e en ually became he en ance o he Panama Canal” [2] (p. 2).
Today, he His o ic Dis ic o Panam
á
is a “unique blend o 19 h and ea ly 20 h cen u y a chi ec u e
inspi ed by la e colonial, Ca ibbean, Gul Coas , F ench, and eclec ic bu mos ly Neo-Renaissance
s yles. In he 19 h and ea ly 20 h cen u ies, building s yles e ol ed signi ican ly, bu spa ial p inciples
we e undamen ally p ese ed” [2] (p. 3).
Designs 2020,4, 57; doi:10.3390/designs4040057 www.mdpi.com/jou nal/designs
Designs 2020,4, 57 2 o 18
The His o ic Dis ic has a egula layou wi h ec angula blocks, no o equal size, a cen al
plaza, and he emains o I alian design o i ica ions ha ep esen “an excep ional and p obably
unique example o 17 h cen u y colonial own planning in he Ame icas” [
2
] (p. 3). These ele an
ea u es a e he angible e ec o he T ansis hmian ou e ha c osses om he A lan ic o he Paci ic,
ha e en ually de eloped in o a ail oad and hen he Panama Canal.
2. Panamanian Monas ic Buildings
Fo cen u ies, colonial eligious a chi ec u e has played an impo an ole in he con igu a ion
o he u ban layou o Eu opean ci ies. This was in ensi ied du ing he coun e - e o ma ion pe iod,
especially in Spanish ci ies, ha saw he g ow h o eligious o de s since he middle ages and hei
s eng hening h ough he 17 h cen u y. By ha ime, he con en s had an eno mous p esence in he
cen e o he ci ies, occupying he in e io o he walled enclosu es [
3
] (pp. 1–3). The same happened
in La in Ame ica [4] (p. 13) and Panama.
In his s udy, we will ocus on he Panamanian colonial eligious a chi ec u e and i s e olu ion
h oughou i s mo e han i e cen u ies o his o y. I is con enien o jus i y he choice o eligious
ypology as a case s udy in con as o he o he wo main colonial a chi ec u e ypologies ha
ha e su i ed o his day: ci il and mili a y [
5
] (p. 87). This is based on his ypology’s unique o
ou s anding alues o monumen ali y and scale wi hin he u ban oo p in and how hey a ec he
unde s anding o he he i age o he His o ic Dis ic o Panama, decla ed Wo ld He i age by UNESCO
in 1997 [
6
]. Mos o he eligious buildings ha ha e su i ed o his day ha e he highes p o ec ion
bo h na ionally (Na ional His o ic Monumen ) and in e na ionally, which p o es he impo ance o he
conse a ion o hese buildings.
On he o he hand, he ole ha eligious communi ies played in Panamanian socie y is highly
ele an om a ious pe spec i es. As small ci ies wi hin he ci y, hey we e s a egically loca ed
bo h in Panam
á
Viejo nea he main squa e and in he His o ic Dis ic , p o ec ed by he wall. He e,
hey se ed as a poin o con ol and de ense, as hey a e also s uc u es p o ec ed by pe ime e
ences [
7
] (pp. 72–73). In addi ion o hei own ecclesias ical and o a o ial use, hey welcomed he mos
needy, gene a ed wo k in hei ga dens, ki chens, and s ables, and om an in ellec ual pe spec i e,
hey we e he p ecu so s o science and educa ion, ounding he i s uni e si y in he coun y.
Today, only i e chu ches (including he Ca hed al) emain wi hin wha was he in amu al
enclosu e. In ha o iginal o ma ion o he ci y, he impac o eligious a chi ec u e on he u ban layou
was much g ea e , since hey we e monas ic complexes made up o clois e s and o cha ds, which ha e
de e io a ed and in some cases en i ely o pa ially disappea ed, while some emain in a dilapida ed
s a e. The ede ini ion o ha u ban oo p in and i s connec ions wi h he p esen will gi e us clues
abou he he i age gains and losses o hese his o ic complexes.
3. P e-Exis ences in he Ci y o PanamáViejo (1519–1671)
As a s a ing poin , we mus a el o he ea ly 16 h cen u y, in he middle o he Spanish
coloniza ion o Ame ica, when he i s conque o s a i ed a he Is hmus o Panama. This conques
was cha ac e ized no only as mili a y, bu also eligious—linked o e angeliza ion o ca echiza ion—
es ablishing language and poli ical ins i u ions. All his in ol ed he cons uc ion o chu ches, con en s,
and monas e ies in each o he colonies.
In Panama, he i s eligious communi y o ake oo was he F anciscans, wi h he ounding o
hei modes monas e y in San a Ma
í
a la An igua del Da i
é
n, he i s colony ounded in Panamanian
e i o y in 1510 by Vasco N
ú
ñez de Balboa. He e, he i s diocese o bo h he is hmus and he
con inen was c ea ed and he i s ca hed al was buil a he eques o he Spanish C own in 1513 [
5
]
(pp. 149–151). Howe e , i did no las long, since he ci y o Panam
á
Viejo was ounded in 1519,
assuming he ans e o all ins i u ions—including he Episcopal— o he new ci y.
Designs 2020,4, 57 3 o 18
Recen esea ch [
8
] p esen s a hypo hesis abou wha he i s layou o Panam
á
Viejo could ha e
been. I is easy o imagine o deduce ha he i s hing ha was d a ed was he main squa e, which is
comple ely eccen ic. As he objec i e o Panam
á
Viejo was o be a po ci y looking o a connec ion
wi h he Paci ic Ocean, o he sou h o he squa e, he ci y was designed wi h he po o he no heas
and a hill o he sou heas . The e, hey en isioned he cons uc ion o he ound y house and he
o ess. Space o g ow h was le owa ds he no h— o a lagoon—and he wes . One o he i s
con en s, Nues a Seño a de la Me ced, was buil owa ds he wes s a ing in 1522 and i s pe manen
cons uc ion in 1540.
The e o e, i is en i ely possible ha he i s sec ion o he Panamanian u ban layou was o med
by a ec angle om he main squa e o he La Me ced, h ough Calle de la Ca e a— he i s s ee
unning sou h o no h, d awn wes –eas and pa allel o he coas o he Paci ic Ocean. I is possible
ha he eas e n bounda y o he ec angle was he p imi i e San o Domingo. These p e-exis ences
and ini ial ou lines will be undamen al in unde s anding he la e cons uc ions. On he ca og aphic
ou line o PanamáViejo, we ha e iden i ied he loca ion o eigh eligious complexes (Figu e 1).
Figu e 1.
Loca ion o eligious buildings in Panam
á
Viejo, including San Jos
é
. Figu e edi ed by he
au ho s om he Plan o Panama Ci y in 1609, based on C is óbal de Roda ca og aphy [9].
4. T ans e o he Cu en His o ic Dis ic o Panama (1673–1821) and U ban Foo p in
In 1673, he ci y was ans e ed by oyal o de o wha we know oday as he His o ic Dis ic o
Panama. Acco ding o Ga c
í
a de Pa edes [
7
] (pp. 64–81), he layou was designed by Don An onio
Fe n
á
ndez de C
ó
doba, and he plo s we e dis ibu ed by he Bishop, Don An onio de Le
ó
n. The la e
secu ed he a ea o he Ca hed al and he eligious o de s. By 1675, he Ca hed al and he con en s
we e no inished, al hough in “decen s a e”. The cons uc ion was a he slow because i depended
on cha i y.
I is impo an o highligh how he ans e om he old o he new ci y en ailed ce ain
con inui y in he o iginal oo p in o he buildings as an analy ical alue o his s udy. As Tejei a Da is
men ions [
10
] (pp. 28–30), a decision was made o posi ion all he con en s wi hin he walled enclosu e
wi h la ge lo s simila in scale o hose hey had had in he old ci y.
Designs 2020,4, 57 4 o 18
The walled enclosu e consis ed o abou 19.5 hec a es. Howe e , i we exclusi ely analyze he
su ace o he designed plo s, we can say ha eligious use accoun ed o a ound 25% o he His o ic
Dis ic subdi ision (3.5 o 14.5 ha). The same amoun o he su ace is occupied by eligious use in
Ba celona and simila in o he Spanish ci ies [3] (pp. 1–3).
As we ha e men ioned p e iously, no much emains o ha eligious a chi ec u e in he u ban
layou o he ci y, and we wan ed o cap u e i in he same way a a ca og aphic le el in o de o
ex ac he use ul a ea o eligious buildings ha s ill exis oday (Figu e 2).
Figu e 2.
Compa ison be ween he o iginal monas ic su ace [
11
] (pp. 96–105) and he cu en si ua ion
in he His o ic Dis ic .
O ha 25% (3.5 ha app ox.), only 5% is s ill p ese ed o eligious use (inc easing o 7% i
we conside he exis ing emains o San o Domingo and Compañ
í
a de Jes
ú
s), which has mean a
loss o h ee- ou hs o his he i age. E en hough he e has been a g ea amoun o loss in use,
he massi e olume o some o he monas ic buildings s ill can be pe cei ed as pa o he laye ing o
he His o ic Dis ic .
5. G adual Disappea ance o he Monas ic Complexes. F om Fi es o he Expulsion o he O de s
I can be said ha eligious a chi ec u e in Panama has a common his o y. In he i s place,
he buildings we e all de as a ed by he g ea i es o he 18 h cen u y, which uined a la ge pa o he
exis ing s uc u es, mos ly made o wood, and which in ol ed con inuous econs uc ion a emp s.
O hese i es, ha o 1737 was he mos de as a ing.
Designs 2020,4, 57 5 o 18
Secondly, in 1821, wi h he independence om Spain and he union wi h G an Colombia,
he Colombian go e nmen began p omulga ing a law ha abolished all hose con en s and monas e ies
ha did no ha e a leas eigh ac i e eligious. I la e es ablished a dec ee in 1857 which decla ed all
eligious buildings “dead hand goods”, o cing hem o be con isca ed [
12
] (pp. 33–37). This ma ked
he end o he eligious o de s in he a ea, who chose o lea e and abandon he buildings.
This p ocess was simila in o he coun ies, especially in Spain. The same p ocess o S a e-manda ed
con isca ion o eligious buildings ook place he e, h ough he so-called Disen ailmen s and
Con isca ions (Mendiz
á
bal, Espa e o o Madoz), auc ioning and con e ing hem o a a ie y
o new uses. Among hese, mili a y use would s and ou due o he expe ience o p eceden wa s
du ing he F ench In asion o Spain in he 19 h cen u y [13] (p. 283).
Since he bi h o he Republic o Panama in 1903, ins i u ional needs began o eme ge ha made i
necessa y o se up new headqua e s. Se e al o he examples ha we will s udy below o buildings o
eligious o igin we e o ha e been con e ed in o public buildings, whe he adminis a i e o cul u al.
This is an iden ical eplica o he case o Spain a e he 1978 Cons i u ion and he eme gence o
he new egional o au onomous en i ies. In a p e ious case s udy, we analyzed one hund ed buildings
p oposed o ins i u ional euse in he ci y o Se ille (one o he mos impo an eligious a chi ec u e
ci ies in he wo ld [
14
] along wi h Rome o Lisbon) in he 1980s, among which he e we e hi een
con en s and monas e ies [15].
6. Case S udies
The me hodology o selec he cases o s udy, consis ing o a bibliog aphy-suppo ed e iew o
he his o y o each o he p ope ies, was ca ied ou , om i s o igin in Panam
á
Viejo o he p esen ,
including he changes in use and i s cu en deg ee o p o ec ion. This analysis combines an u banis ic,
his o ical, and he i age p ese a ion app oach, which is summa ized in Table 1, de ailing all he
eligious buildings o he His o ic Dis ic o Panama (including San a Ana o ha ing las ed om
PanamáViejo, despi e being ou side he old in amu al enclosu e).
O he en buildings iden i ied, eigh we e p esen in he old ci y o Panam
á
Viejo. We will di ide
hem in o ou blocks depending on hei cu en s a us:
•
Con inui y o use. Religious buildings ha we e only chu ches ( hey had no known monas ic use),
which ha e no unde gone changes in use o e ime and con inue o unc ion as such: he Ca hed al,
San Felipe Chu ch, and San a Ana Chu ch ( he la e ou side he walls). Thei colonial ex e io
image pe sis s, despi e he ac ha hei in e io s ha e been comple ely emodeled ( ).
•
Pa ial pe manence. The e is no ace o he monas ic in as uc u e o he o me San F ancisco,
San Jos
é
, and Nues a Seño a de la Me ced con en s. Howe e , he chu ches a e s ill in ope a ion
and in good condi ion a e se e al es o a ions ( ).
•
A chaeological emains in he p ocess o es o a ion. In he cases o San o Domingo o Compañ
í
a
de Jes
ú
s, pa o he complex s ill exis s oday in he o m o a chaeological emains, ha ing been
“sa ed” om o al des uc ion by means o p o ec ion ools and conse a ion/ es o a ion p ojec s,
some o which a e ongoing oday ( ).
•
To al disappea ance. Finally, i is necessa y o emphasize he Monjas de la Concepci
ó
n Con en and
he San Juan de Dios Chu ch and Hospi al in he nega i e ex eme, which ha e now disappea ed.
In he i s case, he e is no ace wha soe e in he u ban layou since he Na ional Thea e and
he Go e nmen Palace we e buil on i s emains. In he second case, he e is some mo phological
eminiscence, bu he iden i y has been los ( ).

Designs 2020,4, 57 6 o 18
Table 1. Analysis o he monas ic buildings iden i ied om hei ounda ion o he p esen .
Name PanamáViejo
Found.
His o ic Dis ic
Found.
O he
Uses
In e media e
E en s
Cu en
S a e-Use
O ig.
Plo (m2)
San F ancisco Con en 1573 1673
1821—Ba acks
1892—School
1999—School
1737/1756—Fi es
1761—Res o a ion
1918—Rebuil
2003—Ex ension
Only Chu ch in use +
Go e nmen O ices 6011
Nues a Seño a de la Me ced
Con en and Chu ch 1540 1680 -
1861—Expulsion
1963—Fi e
1983—Monks e u n
1986/1991/2009—Res o a ions
Only Chu ch in use +O phanage
+Museum o La Me ced 3543
San JoséCon en 1610 1675 - 1833—Expulsion
1898—Monks Re u n Only Chu ch in use 3106
Monjas de la
Concepción Con en 1596 1673 1880/1890—Ba acks +
Nuns Thea e
1621—Ea hquake
1862—Abandonmen
1905—Demoli ion
Na ional Thea e +
Go e nmen O ices 4136
San Juan de Dios Chu ch
and Hospi al 1575 1673 19 h Cen u y—“Dalia”
Wa ehouse 1930—Pa ial Demoli ion School +P i a e Houses 2695
San o Domingo Con en 1571 1675 1857—Pa ially p i a e
houses
1737/1756—Fi es
1857—Abandonmen
1970/1981—Res o a ion
2003—A c Collapse
2007—A c Rebuil
A chaeological Ruins emains +
O ices +
Religious A Museum.
4334
Compañía de Jesús
Con en 1575 1673
1749/1767
San Ja ie Uni .
19 h Cen u y—P i a e
House +Ho el Washing on
1737—Fi e
1767—Expulsion
1781—Fi e
1882—Ea hquake
A chaeological Ruins emains +
P i a e Houses +Ho el in
cons uc ion
6044
Ca hed al 1524 1676 - 1943—Res o a ion Ca hed al in use 3570
Chu ch o
San Felipe - 1685 - 1737—Fi e
1913/1920—Rebuil Chu ch in use 227
Chu ch o
San a Ana 1568 1677 - 1854—Fi e
1911—Res o a ion Chu ch in use 1355
TOTAL 35,021
Designs 2020,4, 57 7 o 18
O he elemen s analyzed, we will ocus on he de elopmen o he se en cases ha ha e led o a
no able alue loss due o he disappea ance o he monas ic ace. We ha e le he h ee examples o
con inui y o use ou o he analysis, which a e also less ele an ega ding he impac on he u ban
layou in e ms o su ace a ea (Figu e 3).
Figu e 3.
Compa a i e g aph be ween he cases o s udy and hei a ea measu ed based on he cu en
plan o he O ice o he His o ic Dis ic (O icina Casco An iguo-OCA).
6.1. Examples o Pa ial Pe manence un il Today (Only Chu ches in Use)
6.1.1. San F ancisco Con en (Boli a Palace o Panama Chancelle y)
The San F ancisco Con en began i s cons uc ion in 1573 and was abandoned a e he loo ing
ollowing he pi a e H. Mo gan’s occupa ion in 1671. In 1673, he oyal o de o ans e o he new
ci y a i ed, and he F anciscan o de was assigned one o he bes encla es in on o he Bay o
Panama, in he new se lemen . The F anciscan con en managed o become one o he la ges in he
new ci y, in con as o he p e ious loca ion in Panam
á
Viejo. Ins ead o being a he cen e o he old
se lemen , i was a om he ounding nucleus due o he indigenous e angeliza ion policies ha had
cha ac e ized he o de [16] (p. 744).
In he mid-18 h cen u y, a e he la ge i es ha occu ed, he building ell in o a s a e o uin and
p og essi e de e io a ion. Despi e some es o a ion a emp s, he F anciscan ia s we e o ced o lea e
he con en in he ea ly 19 h cen u y. This abandonmen also occu ed due o he measu es ha he
Colombian go e nmen was aking jus be o e he union o he is hmus wi h G an Colombia, in line
wi h con isca ing eligious buildings ha did no ha e a su icien ly la ge numbe o monks, as was he
case o he F anciscans. The e o e, he S a e, al eady independen om Spain in 1821, con isca ed he
building o u n i in o an a my ba acks. A his ime, some his o ical-poli ical miles ones ook place
in he o me con en p emises, he Amphic yonic Cong ess o Panama (1826) called by he libe a o
Simón Bolí a , gi ing i i s cu en name o he Salón o Palacio Bolí a .
In addi ion o mili a y o poli ical uses, he building also was he “Hospi al o Fo eigne s” be o e
i mo ed o Anc
ó
n Hill, as well as di e en colleges and schools h oughou he 20 h cen u y: Balboa
Na ional School (1892–1899) o he Pia is Fa he s, La Salle/Ja ie School (1910–1952), San Agus
í
n
School (1953–1959), and he Bol
í
a Ins i u e (1959–1999). The la e h ee had he suppo o he Jesui s,
which shows ha he building ne e los i s eligious cha ac e , since he chu ch also emained ac i e
h oughou all hese pe iods [17].
En e ing he 21s cen u y, new es o a ion wo ks we e ca ied ou on he h ee exis ing
pa ilions buil a he beginning o he 20 h cen u y, and he e was a subsequen expansion wi h
he new “Cen ennial Pa ilion” (2000–2003) o ans o m he building o public adminis a i e use as
headqua e s o he Minis y o Fo eign A ai s o Chancelle y o Panama. Du ing his p ojec , he main
in e io pa io was edesigned as Libe ado es Squa e, a co e ed space in homage o he poli ical e en s
Designs 2020,4, 57 8 o 18
ha ook place in his encla e. Du ing such wo ks, aces o he old con en we e ound, such as he
F anciscan laund y and ki chen a eas, ep esen ing he only p esen e idence o ha o iginal building.
Today, only he San F ancisco Chu ch emains om he en i e o iginal con en complex (Figu e 4),
he only piece o su i e all changes o use. Howe e , we mus also men ion ha his icon o he colonial
ba oque has also g adually changed i s cha ac e and he i age alue due o successi e es o a ions.
In 1918, i was “ es o ed and comple ely dis o ed” acco ding o his o ian
Á
ngel Rubio. This c i icism
adds o he claims o se e al Panamanian his o ians such as Na ciso Ga ay and Rub
é
n D. Ca les,
poin ing ou ha “ he es o a ion e o o ou pious people has des oyed he acades o ou emples,
hei pulpi s and al a s made o a single piece and ca ed so inely ha hey esemble ich goldwo k,
o be eplaced by conc e e acades, pulpi s and al a s, mo e mode n and colo ul, bu less ich in a
and splendo ” [5].
Figu e 4. Chu ch o San F ancisco in 1875 by E. Muyb idge [18].
As a he i age analysis, we can conclude ha he p edominan his o ical alue o his monumen al
complex is mo e closely linked o i s poli ical cha ac e as he scene o momen ous e en s such as he
Is hmus Ba alion (1823), he Amphic yonic Cong ess o Panama (1826), and he w i ing and signing o
he i s Cons i u ion o he Republic (1904) han he monas ic cha ac e wi h which i was concei ed
almos ou cen u ies ago.
6.1.2. Nues a Seño a de la Me ced Con en and Chu ch
The Me ceda ian O de was he i s o se le and he las o lea e he ci y o Panam
á
Viejo.
Loca ed on he ou ski s, i managed o sa e a la ge pa o he o iginal s uc u e a e he a acks o he
pi a e Mo gan.
In any case, hey we e assigned a block jus in on o he new Pue a de Tie a o he ci y wall,
ha is, nex o he main access o he new ci y. Then, he Me ceda ians e ec ed a small wooden building
o he chu ch and do mi o ies. As i s p e ious loca ion was p ac ically in ac , be ween 1720 and
1732, he o de ocused all hei e o s on ebuilding he chu ch in image and likeness o he one in
Panam
á
Viejo (b inging he ma e ial o he acade s one by s one). Fo his eason, his chu ch is known
as “ ha o he wo ci ies”, and i has endu ed o his day as one o he bes -p ese ed chu ches in
he a ea [17].
Like he o he eligious communi ies, he Me ceda ians we e expelled in 1861, esul ing in he
con en disappea ing and he chu ch closing. The emple emained in ac , being designa ed as he
Tabe nacle o he Ca hed al in 1875 (Figu e 5), un il he wo ship was g adually e-es ablished.
Designs 2020,4, 57 9 o 18
Figu e 5. Chu ch o he Me ced in 1875 by E. Muyb idge [19].
In 1963, se e al o i s mos ou s anding a chi ec u al asse s (choi and main al a ) we e los in a
i e and he es o a ion wo k had i s de iciencies. In 1983, he o de e u ned, ca ying ou se e al
es o a ions in he building [
20
] ha make i one o he mos unique chu ches in he ci y, i s acade
being an example o bo h his o ical and a is ic alue.
6.1.3. San JoséCon en (Today Golden Al a piece Chu ch)
The Augus inian monks we e among he las cong ega ions o se le in Panama when hey ounded
he San Jos
é
Chu ch and Con en in Panam
á
Viejo in 1610 [
21
]. Loca ed ou side he walls, i was
p ac ically una ec ed by i es a e he de as a ion o he pi a e Mo gan in 1671 and i emained in ac .
Wi h he ans e in 1673, he au ho i ies decided o mo e i o a sa e place, p o iding hem
wi h a comple e block wi hin he ci y walls, close o he Jesui con en . I unc ioned no mally and
wi hou majo in e up ions in i s wo k un il, in 1833, when he eligious we e expelled ollowing he
a o emen ioned dec ee p omulga ed by he new Colombian go e nmen . Due o he cha ac e is ics o
he complex, i could ha e been used o o he pu poses, such as educa ional use. Howe e , as he e
we e nea by schools, i was auc ioned and di ided [22].
The chu ch, which was le in uins a ha ime, has managed o endu e o e ime. In 1898,
wi h he expulsion o he Spanish cle gy om he Philippines, he Augus inian Recollec s decided o
e u n o Panama a e se e al decades o plunde ing h ough he Conco da be ween he S a e and he
Chu ch ended in 1887. A ha ime, hey aised hei eligious communi y again, es o ing he o iginal
chu ch ha we know oday (including he amous Golden Al a piece). As a esul o hei e u n and
he es o a ion, he Augus inian O de e ol ed o become one o he mos ac i e eligious communi ies
in he coun y, wi h o he loca ions in ci ies such as Bocas del To o, Río Abajo, and Da id [22].
6.2. Examples o Disappea ance o he His o ical U ban Foo p in o Monas ic Elemen s
6.2.1. Monjas de la Concepción Con en (Na ional Thea e -Go e nmen Palace)
The Monjas de la Concepci
ó
n Con en has a singula i y, which is ha i was he sea o he only
emale eligious cong ega ion es ablished in Panama du ing he colonial pe iod. Du ing ha pe iod,
he o iginal con en was loca ed close o he ounding nucleus o Panam
á
Viejo. As o he i s con en
loca ed in Panam
á
Viejo, he emains o i s chu ch and clois e ha e managed o su i e o his day in
ela i ely good condi ion. This is p obably due o he ac ha hei cons uc ion was la e and mo e
solid (mid-17 h cen u y), and due o he conse a ion p ocess ca ied ou [23]. Likewise, he ac ha
he complex was pa ially un inished du ing he disas e o 1671 [
24
] (p. 19) may be he eason why
i became he i s eligious building e ec ed in he new Panama Ci y on he same day he ci y was
Designs 2020,4, 57 16 o 18
7.3.4. New Eme ging Uses (in Pa icula , Tou ism Use)
As men ioned ea lie , e en hough new uses can be adap ed o buil he i age, he e is s ill a
isk i he p ocess is no managed co ec ly. The p io i y in he in e en ions migh no always be
he conse a ion and he in e p e a ion o he buildings. Some imes o he ac o s ha e an in luence,
such as p o i abili y, especially i he p ojec is p omo ed by he p i a e sec o . The e o e, we mus
emphasize he esponsibili y o he compe en au ho i y when supe ising he in e en ions in he buil
he i age. The au ho i ies ha e o ensu e ha he o iginal alue will no be damaged o los , ha he
es o a ion is dis inguishable om he p e-exis ing building, ha i is e e sible o he ex en possible,
and ha i espec s he u ban and en i onmen al su oundings, among o he ecommenda ions o he
In e na ional Res o a ion Cha e s.
Such a wa ning does no con adic he ac ha we conside he euse o his o ical buildings o be
posi i e, p o iding hem wi h new con empo a y and eme ging uses, such as hose ela ed o ou ism,
which has been on he ise in ecen decades. We consciously inished ou compila ion and analysis o
signi ican elemen s o eligious a chi ec u e in he p esen s udy p ecisely wi h he Compañ
í
a de Jes
ú
s
p ojec . This case s udy shows an example o adap a i e euse ha in ou opinion should be e iewed
ca e ully by au ho i ies. I can be a posi i e o nega i e example, depending on he co ec use o he
legisla i e amewo k and he espec o i s alues and a ibu es
Au ho Con ibu ions:
Concep ualiza ion, A.C.H.; me hodology, A.C.H.; alida ion, S.A.D.; o mal analysis,
A.C.H., S.A.D.; in es iga ion, A.C.H., S.A.D.; w i ing—o iginal d a p epa a ion, A.C.H.; w i ing— e iew and
edi ing, A.C.H., S.A.D.; supe ision, S.A.D. Bo h au ho s ha e ead and ag eed o he published e sion o
he manusc ip .
Funding: This esea ch ecei ed no ex e nal unding.
Acknowledgmen s:
The au ho s g a e ully acknowledge he Smi hsonian Ame ican A Museum o le all
his o ical images ee o copy igh es ic ions online and he Sis ema Nacional de In es igaci
ó
n (SNI) de la
Sec e a ía Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Inno ación (SENACYT) de Panamá.
Con lic s o In e es : The au ho s decla e no con lic o in e es .
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á
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á
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á
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