View from Quito: occupying a narrow valley in the Andes, Quito's evolution from colonial outpost to modern city has been shaped by legend, myth, topography and a rising population.

Very few cities in the world can claim that the Devil built one of its churches, but such is the case of Quito, capital of Ecuador, whose San Francisco religious complex is said to have been built by the stonemason Cantuna with the assistance of Satan himself. Poor Cantuna's soul was saved only by leaving his chapel one stone short of completion, thus fooling the Prince of Darkness.

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Such myths and legends constitute an integral part of the idiosyncrasy of the Quitoan people, creating monuments to their collective memory in almost every corner of the Old City. But Quito is more than the graceful remains of colonial planning and the Beaux-Arts and Neo-Classical architecture of the early Republican period. It is a thriving, growing metropolis of 1.6 million inhabitants who go about their lives with such legends buried deep in their psyches, even if they have not had the chance or the curiosity to look beneath the surface of their home town.

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Below this surface is an intricate system of underground vaults and arches that supports an urban model imported from Spain in the sixteenth century and stubbornly laid over the ravines coming down from the Volcano Pichincha. Despite its inappropriateness to the landscape, this urban core functioned efficiently for more than 400 years, surviving well into the twentieth century.

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Historically, the city went through a natural population segregation, with the more affluent neighbourhoods creeping to the north of the historic core and the industrial and working-class settlements sprawling to the south. Now, over two thirds of the population live in the poorer south and on land invaded in the surrounding hills. Public services and utilities reach a decent percentage of the population, but the topographical layout of the city, which occupies a narrow Andean valley, demands special planning for transport, mass transit systems and waste management. Quito has made great strides on this front, constucting two routes for ecologically-friendly trolley buses that travel along special lanes. The trolley stations are also strategically located, and a network of buses links the system to outlying areas. Unfortunately, the old buses continue to belch their black smoke along these routes, their status protected by strong political pressure from transport unions.

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Nonetheless, the city retains a large degree of charm. UNESCO chose Quito's historic centre as the first member of its World Heritage List, and the 25th anniversary of that selection is being celebrated this year. The current city administration has also made revitalization of the area (which includes roughly 5000 inventoried buildings spread across 343 hectares) its largest municipal project. In fact, the city's masterplan calls for transforming Quito into a tourist destination, with a full range of services for visitors and locals alike.

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Several organizations are working to preserve the colonial area, which would form the focus of any tourism scheme. In the aftermath of a 1987 earthquake that damaged the old city, the Quito Restoration Fund (FONSAL) was set up to manage, fund, and conduct the restoration of the city's monumental architecture. Years later, the Corporation for the Development of the Historic Centre (ECH) was formed to create and manage an all-encompassing development plan for the district, focusing mainly on the restoration of residential architecture.

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The city's best architecture remains concentrated in this colonial core. In modern times, the nation has seen few bold, breakthrough projects, and fewer yet in the public realm. Instead, most of Ecuador's best contemporary architecture can be found in private residences custom designed for wealthy families. The public architectural projects that do exist have sprung up along the axes of development that run toward the wealthy north, as well as in the affluent suburbs of the eastern valleys. Rafael Velez Calisto, Arteta Arquitectos and Constructiva are among the most sought-after and prolific architects and firms.

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Unfortunately, since most projects are privately commissioned and funded, the public has no way to satisfy an ever-growing demand for better architecture; only a select few have access to the works of up and coming architects like Veronica Holguin, Alejandro Nunez, Maria Samaniego, and Adrian Moreno.

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One publisher has made efforts to improve the situation, however. Trama Ediciones, an architectural and graphics publisher that printed Ecuador's sole architectural magazine (now only active online), has produced well-documented and delightfully designed books on Latin American--and, particularly, Ecuadorian--architecture. Titles such as The Modern Ecuadorian House, now in its third volume, and Ecuadorian Country Houses promote local architects and give some notion of the status of the profession. Local architects can also show their ideas and interact with international professionals at the Quito Biennial (BAQ) which awards prizes for built projects, student projects, publications, essays, theory and history, and research, among other categories.

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Unfortunately, all these efforts aim at and reach a very small percentage of the population, few of them outside the profession. Architecture is not yet on the map in Ecuador as it is elsewhere in South America. The success of architects in neighbouring countries such as Mexico and Colombia is based on the fact that they embrace their national identities and abstract traditional architecture and materials. The resulting work stands out not so much because it pushes the limits of fashion and function, but because its cultural character makes it distinctive in an increasingly globalized world.

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