Palacio de la Cultura – Medellín

By The Colombian Way

Downtown Medellín’s monochrome masterpiece of gothic-revival.

What is Palacio de la Cultura?

Palacio de la Cultura, or Palacio de la Cultura Rafael Uribe Uribe to give it its full name is first and foremost one of downtown Medellín’s most distinctive structures. A designated Colombian National Monument, the culture palace is open to the public and houses numerous events such as concerts and art exhibitions. It is also the permanent home to the Institute of Culture and Heritage of Antioquia.

History of Palacio de la Cultura

The palace was commissioned in 1920 by General Pedro Nel Ospina, later to become the Colombian president but at the time Governor of Antioquia. Originally the palace was conceived as the administrative headquarters for the Department of Antioquia and was called Palacio Calibío.

The palace was designed by Belgian architect Agustín Goovaerts and construction took 12 years from 1925 to 1937.

The building’s gothic-revival style is most immediately noticeable for its use of contrasting black and white masonry. It is also noted for its geometric acuity and the cleverness of its design that required the importation of steel structural elements from Belgium.

In 1987 the building was renamed in honour of Rafael Uribe Uribe, an early 20th Century Colombian lawyer, journalist and trade unionist that founded the Colombian Free University and was a general in Colombia’s Thousand Days War.

Palacio de la Cultura houses over three hundred offices across 4 floors.

Visiting Palacio de la Cultura

Palacio de la Cultura is accessible to the public and you are able to walk up to its terraces overlooking downtown Medellín. It is adjacent to Plaza Botero and Parque Berrío Metro so will be seen during one of our Medellín city tours.