ÁLVARO MÉNDEZ PORTFOLIO
Bachelor's in Architecture
2024
A M
HOLA! ,Soy Álvaro Méndez This is my portfolio Este es mi portafolio
Bachelor's Degree in Architecture
Graduate of the University of Lima Bachiller en arquitectura - Graduado de la Universidad de Lima
Lima, Perú PE
2024
About me! Who am I? Sobre mi, ¿Quien soy yo? I am a young Peruvian architect with a strong interest in developing innovative proposals for architectural projects that consider urban, functional, and conceptual aspects. I am passionate about translating ideas into architectural concepts and working on projects of various scales, contexts, concepts, and functions. I value teamwork, believing it to be essential for any project and organization. I enjoy listening to people, understanding their thought processes, and projecting ideas. Similarly, I find joy in intertwining ideas to create something new. I consider myself a responsible, empathetic, and passionate individual who enjoys the entire process of architectural creation. I have experience participating in projects using the BIM methodology, design criteria, and am a proactive individual always seeking ways to improve projects. I am actively seeking employment opportunities in the planning and development of architectural projects, aiming to gain more experience in design, coordination, project management, and leadership. Soy un joven arquitecto peruano con un fuerte interés en desarrollar propuestas innovadoras para proyectos arquitectónicos que consideren aspectos urbanos, funcionales y conceptuales. Me apasiona plasmar ideas para la concepción arquitectónica y trabajar en proyectos de gran variedad de escalas, contextos, conceptos y funciones. Valoro el trabajo en equipo, siento que es fundamental para cualquier proyecto y organización, me encanta escuchar a las personas, entender su forma de pensar y proyectar ideas, de igual forma entrelazar ideas para crear una nueva. Me considero una persona responsable, líder, empática y apasionada que disfruta el proceso completo de la creación en arquitectura. Cuento con experiencia participando en proyectos utilizando la metodología BIM, criterio de diseño y una persona proactiva, siempre en busqueda de como mejorar los proyectos. Estoy buscando activamente una oportunidad laboral en planificación y desarrollo de proyectos arquitectónicos, con el objetivo de adquirir más experiencia en diseño, coordinación, dirección y liderazgo de proyectos.
My information Mi información Fullname
Nombre completo
Álvaro Rodrigo, Méndez Zavaleta
Profession Árquitecto + Diseñador Gráfico + Modelos 3D Profesión
Árchitect + Graphic Designer + Models 3D
Phone
+51 997067655
alva.mz97@gmail.com
Teléfono
Address
Dirección
Magdalena del Mar, Lima, Perú
Education Educación
08 / 2014 - 06 / 2021
Bachelor in Architecture
03 / 2010 - 12 / 2013
High School
University of Lima, Lima, Peru
Santa Ana School, Lima, Peru
Work experence
Experiencia laboral 11/2022 - 02/2023
Junior BIM Modeler Grupo A&E, Lima, Perú - Architecture Studio
-BIM MEP modeling of electrical installations. -Review of interferences with other disciplines. 04/2022 - 08/2022
Independent Consultant Private Projects, Lima, Peru
11/2021 - 02/2022
Project design at the Preliminary and Conceptual levels. Design and preparation of presentations. Interior design.
Project Assistant CIBA Contratistas generales, Lima Perú - Architecture Studio
-Preparation of detailed plans for healthcare projects. -3D modeling, renders, and virtual tours (SketchUp+Enscape). -Review of plans and document preparation. 04/2021 - 07/2021
Pre-professional Internship MOS Arquitectónica, Andahuaylas, Perú - Architecture Studio
-Residential design at the preliminary project level. -Presentations and proposals for new projects (Illustrator + Photoshop). -Projects for private and public entities. -3D models and renders (Autocad, Sketchup, Revit, and Enscape). 12/2020 - 03/2021
Graphic Designer AMV Ingeniería & servicios, Lima Perú - Engineering Office
-Development of graphic materials (Project presentations, brochures, web design, and book designs).
QR LinkedIn
2024
Languages
Idiomas
Spanish - Native English - Intermediate Español - Nativo Ingles - Intermedio
Extracurricular Courses Cursos extracurriculares
Scrum: Agile Project Development
06 - 2023 08 - 2023
Universidad de Lima
Final Degree Project 2020-2 (P.F.C.)
Proyecto de fin de carrera- 2020-2
I developed an architectural project in Magdalena del Mar, the district where I live, aiming to find a balance between urban growth and economic development in the commercial area. The project, titled "Mixed-Use Neighborhood in Magdalena," was recognized by the professors as an outstanding project for its proper use of historical, contextual, and conceptual analysis in its projection and architectural design strategies.
P.E.C. Finance for Non-Financials Universidad de Lima
06 - 2022 01 - 2023
BIM Specialist in Buildings
06 - 2022 01 - 2023
Macrotect Training Center Ms Project professional 2016 Cibertec
#REVIT #AUTOCAD #SKETCHUP #ENSCAPE #ILLUSTRATOR
Link for virtual tour: https://youtu.be/kr-UPFmrKTI
10-2019 01-2020
Pasatiempos
Skills
Hobbies
Habilidades Architectural Design
Models 3D
Renders
Graphic Design
Teamwork
Curious
Guitara - Conservatoria Nacional de Música
Gym - Culturismo y entrenador personal Entrenamiento canino
Software skills
Programas
Adobe Illustrator - Intermediate
AutoCAD - Intermediate
Adobe Photoshop - Basic
Revit - Intermediate
Adobe Premier - Basic
SketchUp - Intermediate
Ms Ofice Basic - Intermediate Ms Project - Intermediate
Enscape - Intermediate
Greetings! I present to you my projects. Bienvenidos, les presento mis proyectos
Academic projects Proyectos académicos
Mixed-Use Neighborhood Magdalena del Mar - Architecture Project X 08/2020 - 12/2020
Urban Forest in Villa el Salvador - Architecture Project IX 05/2020 - 06/2020
Utopian Block in Villa el Salvador - Architecture Project IX 04/2020
Multifamily MAES - Sargos - Seminar Project in Management 08/2020 - 10/2020
Nike Offices - Interior Design 05/2020 - 06/2020
Independent Projects - Freelancer Proyectos Independientes
Asper Booth 05/2022 - 06/2022
Housing Lance-Urabain 05/2021 - 06/2021
Escalonada la molina
02/2022 - 03/2022
Models 3D Modelos 3D
Health Centers 01/2021 - 04/2022
Schools
04/2021 - 05/2021
Extras Extras
Dystopian Vision - Story created for the FairyTales competition 04/2020 - 07/2020
Mixed-Use Neighborhood Magdalena del Mar
Academic Project
The project originated from my personal concern about the urban future of the Magdalena del Mar district, located in Lima, Peru, where I currently reside. This district has a large commercial sector where a large number of people are supplied. However, this was formed in an improvised and unplanned way due to the potential demand as a commercial sector. In recent years, it has had a very accelerated, improvised, and uncontrolled urban growth, wasting the potential of this as a commercial neighborhood. Analyzing the context, we will see phenomena that occur in the area and how these will be used for architectural conception. The goal of this project will focus on proposing an architectural solution that allows for balancing urban growth and economic development of the sector.
LINK RECORRIDO VIRTUAL
Photographic record 1
Current Situation
2
New Buildings
Area to be intervened
Tupac Amaru Square Boulevard
2
Project Context 4
Key points to understand the project is to understand its contextual area. Through photographic documentation, we observe the current situation of the area to be intervened.
Internal Plaza
1
Boulevard
3
Improvised convergence of housing and commerce. Improvised commercial area
View of the Boulevard.
Uncontrolled urban growth, with houses and/or businesses of 4 meters in length in their front part, around the property. There is a hidden inner square within the block.
View of the Boulevard. Residential neighborhood Comercial neighborhood
3
4
Internal Plaza
There are linear commercial routes, and a boulevard that connects the entire commercial area.
Boulevard
We can speak of a neighborhood, as the commerce is both neighborhood and metropolitan.
Commercial axis
3
4 2
1
Tupac Amaru Square
LINK PORTAFOLIO ANALISIS DE LA ZONA
Urban Growth
Houses converted into a commercial area
INTERVENTION 18 m. 9 m.
Buildings constructed in the last 5 years.
Disciplinary Interest - Conceptual In the Lima context, the city lacks public spaces, which is why commercial areas play a very important role in Peruvian social life, acting as public spaces and recreational areas, transforming the space into what we will call a "commercial neighborhood".
LINK PORTFOLIO
The virtual space where the commercial neighborhood is contained is always linked to the route, to the situations and events that occur in it, these spaces being very dynamic. When buying groceries, eating or walking, it generates an individual memory in each person and, in turn, a mental map of routes that, over time, become part of the identity of both individuals and the people with the place. Therefore, it can be concluded that the identity of this commercial area is formed as a result of the situations and events that occur in it. The project must take into account concepts such as the route, continuity, event, identity to create design strategies. The project should function as a container of dynamics, events and situations, linked and provoked by its route and the spaces it forms, maintaining the identity of the place, so that users can form their own mental map of routes based on the dynamism of architecture. Architecture focused on architectural event.
ARCHITECTURE OF EVENTS + PLACES WITHIN PLACES
Generating spatial continuity linked to experiences.
Creating a variety of spaces
Events Cultural Diversity + Within the same space
This matrix shows the process of analysis to arrive at the architectural conception, in the historical part of how the district goes from being a private residential area over time to a commercial area, the contextual analysis that denotes that we are in a neighborhood that is both commercial and residential due to the dynamics of the place, and the theoretical analysis and the importance of taking the concept of route and event as the guiding thread for architectural composition. Tools that will be taken into account for the formulation of design strategies.
Consistency matrix
LINK PORTFOLIO
Induction spaces Parks and gardens Housing 1 and 2 levels
Expansión 1943
Internal courtyards
Freedom of travel
Expansion and growth of trade around the market, creating a new morphology.
Identity
Market beginnings
Morphology
Architecture is no longer admired
Neighborhood feeling
Spatial continuity
It is consistent Walk Means Home
Architecture Facing the event
Meeting place Merchants
Visitors of
Visuals
Commercial
1936
District
Residential
2023
District 1936 Commercial area
Discovering places
Flow Existence
Tours
Events
View of the square
Pedestrian
Site experiences
Atmospheres
Trails
Actuality Outdoor
Mental map of routes Individual - Collective
Means
of
Square
To the environment
Transmitting emotions
Local events
Architectural (Einsenman - AlexanderSituationists)
View of the boulevard
Dynamics Create memory of the place
Malecon view As a container
Historical Framework
Touring and discovering
Commercial area
Contextual framework
Intensions
Conceptual Framework
Space container
Pre-figure
Neighborhood
Commercial axis
Places within places
Current
(Rogelio Salmona)
Commercial type Residential + Commerce
Commerce First level
Remembering and Experimenting
Chain of events
Morphology
characterization
Forms a
Trading in the internal square
Living system Creates
Variety of Spaces
Unity Positive Fragments Volumes delimiting squares
Irregular pattern in the existing market
Cultural exchange
Mimetized Housing Commerce First level Residential Second level
Neighborhood within neighborhoods Volumes obtained from contextual analysis
Conductive thread
Different qualities
For
Architectural composition
LINK PORTFOLIO
Emplazamiento y estrategias proyectuales
1
4
The memory of the place prevails through the commercial axes that are part of the architectural proposal. These axes and the boulevard are maintained.
4
4
2
1
Reconstructing the memory
Connect Fomentar el descubrimiento de espacios por medio del recorrido, mediante plazas internas articuladoras. Del mismo modo el proyecto esta integrado a la trama urbana del distrito. Eliminando muros ciegos.
3
Induction By means of arches the petaón is induced to go through the space. Part as a 5 memory of the pre-existence of the place.
Profile of Arquedas en Quintas entries
1 4
Profile of Arquedas en Quintas entries
Profile of Arquedas en Quintas entries
Densify Densify in dwellings according to the neighborhood scale and what is allowed by urban parameters.
2
2
5
Create Neighborhood Connecting the program to generate neighborhoods, both commercial and residential.
Merchants' neighborhood LINK PORTFOLIO
Student neighborhood
Residential neighborhood Office district
There are 3 levels of recreational spaces. Second floor, the commercial area being a totally public space with internal squares. Intermediate zone, semi-public terraced spaces. Upper zone, by means of bridges that connect the housing towers, private public spaces, only for the residents of the zone. Merchants' neighborhood
80m2 - 150 m2
3-bedroom apartments 125 m2 - 150 m2
The proposal aims to be part of a new typology of mixed building in markets, from the function, which responds to the value of a traditional Peruvian market, considering it as a space where social relations between traders and consumers abound when carrying out daily commercial activities. From its conception as a container of experiences, social relations and interactions. In the same way, to recognize the market as a public space, to increase the commercial offer, to create a tourist attraction and to become a reference of mixed building in markets.
Vertical circulation Horizontal circulation
1
5
Graphic scale.
10
15
20
Urban Forest in Villa el Salvador
Academic Project
This project is located in the district of Villa El Salvador, Lima, Peru. This district was conceived as a utopian model to curb the influx of people in that area. As most of these individuals are from provinces, they are accustomed to community life and living in spacious settings with a rural lifestyle and direct contact with nature. According to the book "Hidden Dimension," people have different dimensions and perceptions depending on the environments in which they were raised and/or developed. In this case, the territory is arid and desert-like, creating a complete disconnection of identity with the current inhabitants. A hybrid architecture is proposed that combines the natural with the artificial; where the natural elements function as areas for recreation and leisure, physically and socially articulating the space. The proposal is to design flexible architecture that does not create boundaries and successfully connects and relates to the identity of its population, recreating the nature in which they lived. The project will be an oasis within this desert. A large urban forest is proposed, extended and connected through different underground levels via ramps, forming part of the journey towards a commercial area and the residential zone.
FORMA Y LENGUAJE
LA FORMA DE LOS BOSQUES SE CREO A PARTIR DE LOS ESPACIOS QUE GENERA LA VO
BOSQUE URBANO EL SALVADOR
CIOS CONTENIDOS DENTRO DE OTROS Y DAR ASI SUCESOS DESPLEGABLES ENTRE LA
BOSQUES SIGUEN UNA LÓGICA DE RECORRIDO Y CONEXION HACIA EL EXTERIOR, EL M
POSEE.
Concrete House Facade + Climbing Vines and Shrubs FACHADA DE VIVIENDA DE CONCRETO + ENREDADERA Y ARBUSTOS
BOSQUE ALIGUSTE NIVEL -0.05
ONCRETO CExposed EConcrete XPUESTO
BO F
BOSQUE HUARANHUAY NIVEL -4.50
NIVE
Estructura subterranea abovedada GENERAR UN OASIS EN MEDIO DEL DESIERTO ENREDADERAS + ARBUSTOS CONCRETO EXPUESTO
SIN CERRAMIENTO. VISUAL
SUCESOS
Urban Forest
ARBOLES Y COLUMNAS
Urban Forest
ALIGUSTE ALTURA: 4 M ARBOL PEQUEÑO/COPA DENSA
Urban FÁCIL DE TRANSPLANTAR Forest NO ES EXIGENTE DE SUELO NI DE LUZ ESCALONAMIENTO PARA GENERAR TENSIÓN ENTRE LAS TORRES DE VIVIENDAS
Entrance View to the Urban Forest
REQUIER RIEGO MODERADO
HUARANHUAY ALTURA: 4 M CORTA VIDA CRECIMIENTO RÁPIDO RAICES PEQUEÑAS REQUIER LUGAR SIN VIENTO
CATALOGO DE ARBOLES DE LIMA
Structural Scheme
ELLA GENERAR ESTOS ESPA-
ES DE LOS BOSQUES. ESTOS
O Y EL PROGRAMA QUE ESTE
Utopian Block
Academic Project
This project was conceived around a developing apple, in which the most dysABLES DE LOS BOSQUES topian version it could reach was analyzed, considering real-established parameters and taken to an exaggeration. This projection envisions an apple built to its limits, with no open spaces, public areas, and constructed informally and precariously. Taking inspiration from the city of Kowloon, China, as a clear example of extreme urban development without planning, improvised and lacking a future.
FICUS ELÁSTICA ALTURA: 8 M
On the other hand, a project with a utopian vision was proposed, free from structural or planning limitations, as a tribute to the imagination of what this plot of land, consisting of 9 blocks located in Villa el Salvador, Lima, Peru, could become.
NDABLE PARA PARQUES
S SUPERIORES (LIANA)
OFINA. NECESITA AGUA
95
IDA EL
AVEN
A
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ID
A
SOL
AVEN
IDA
C
EN
TR
SEPA
RAD
ORA
L
A
ID
EN
AV
A
LLA
VI
INDU
STRIA
L
AR
LM
DE
Current Block
Dystopian Block
City of Kowloon
Terraces
Green Terraces and Small Forests
Utopian Vision
Intermediate Private Public Space for the Tower Community
Central Tower Structural Support for Elevated Streets and a Cable Car System Connecting a Future Replica of These Blocks
Base
Commercial Pedestal and Social Hub, Serving as the Foundation and Buttress for the Residential Tower
Aerial Street Connection Between Residential and Circulation Towers
Braces
Metal Structure of Columns, Beams, and Trusses.
The proposal aims to unify the 9 blocks while preserving the traditional character of the area, maintaining its historic language and some of its heritage on the side corners. On the other corners, two large interconnected towers are proposed for mixed-use – commercial, professional, and residential purposes. The entire ground floor is intended to remain open and flexible. Looking ahead, the plan envisions replicating these blocks and connecting them with cable cars in the future.
Multifamily Residential Project - MAES Sargos
Academic Project
An initial project for a multifamily dwelling, developed during the "Architectural Design" course, was chosen as the foundation for the project execution. Subsequently, Value Engineering was applied, taking into account contextual factors such as regulations, market supply and demand, immediate competition, and design. The goal was to transform it into an executable and profitable project. Significant changes were made to the facade, housing typology, and their distribution based on a market study conducted for this specific area and context. It was adapted to the standards derived from the contextual, demand-driven, supply-driven, regulatory, and economic (profitability as a project) analyses. Functional and design aspects were prioritized in this case, considering the concept of dignified housing distribution. Spatial efficiency for the client was a focal point, minimizing circulation areas in the offered residences to maximize space for other areas. Simultaneously, minimal accessibility was considered to gain the most space possible.
Project Information District. Project Description. San Isidro 12 Floors 45 Residences 120m2 to 170m2 Land Area Optimal Distribution 950 m2 Multipurpose Room Terrace Investment Amount Gym $16 999 974.66 Game Room Typology 3. 150m2
Typology 1. 120m2
Typology 2. 130m2 Multipurpose Room
Kitchen - Living Room
Bedrooms
NIKE Offices
Academic Project The design for Nike's offices was developed specifically for their marketing department. The design approach began with an analysis of the brand, clients, concepts, business philosophy, color palette, types of furniture used in their other offices, and space distribution to align with their needs. The proposal includes a reception area, a dining space, a meeting area, and a Brainstorming space for creative work, along with 2 offices and a traditional meeting area at the end of the project. In the workspace, flexible and movable furniture was implemented to break away from traditional setups and add an element of fun to the layout. Each workspace was carefully equipped with the essentials. Minimalistic walls with vinyl decals featuring iconic phrases, logos, and infographics were chosen to inspire the staff at work. The Brainstorming area features movable furniture and a large wall functioning as a whiteboard, providing freedom and inspiration during the company's creative moments. The dining area was designed linearly, culminating in a view of the city.
Work Area
Dining Area
Reception
Brainstorming Lorem ipsum
Casa Lance-Urabain
Freelancer
The client came with a housing project on the third floor in the district of San Miguel and expressed the desire to reconsider the original design, which consisted of two minimal residences, in favor of a spacious duplex apartment with larger dimensions. The use of metal structures and drywall for enclosures was proposed. The central concept of the project was to create the feeling of "living in the sky." The goal was to fully exploit the views offered by the park in front, incorporating a double-height space to increase natural light and visually enhance the top of the building, being the last floor. Similarly, improvements were made to the original project's layout. Challenge: We were presented with an existing structure to work with. The intention was to design a space that conveyed the sensation of living in the sky. It was presented as a preliminary exploration of the potential the location offered to create more spacious, dignified, and illuminated environments.
Current Status of the Preliminary Project Cocina
Núcleo de Escaleras
Proposal for the New Preliminary Project
Views
Escalonada La Molina
Freelancer
A preliminary design was proposed for a residence located in La Molina, where the terrain has two fronts at significantly different levels, with a 7-meter height difference due to its location on a hill. The intended dwelling aims to establish a connection with both fronts, with future plans to acquire the neighboring plot. The existing infrastructure consists of 2 floors plus a terrace, currently only linked to the lower side of the terrain, featuring a prominent wall in the front part of its patio. The concept suggests designing a staggered residence to emphasize panoramic views of the entire city of Lima from all sides. In terms of materials, the proposal aims to establish a balance between the substantial and the lightweight elements. The solid concrete base, featuring vaulted slabs, represents the weighty component, while the upper floors utilize a metal structure to lighten the load on the lower part. This approach also seeks a fusion of classical and modern elements, with the metallic structure acting as an envelope for the traditional. Additionally, different terrace levels are proposed to facilitate visual connections.
Fase 1 del proyecto
Fase 2 del proyecto
Asper Booth
Freelancer
A booth design was created for the company Asper, specifically for the Food Fair Expo 2022. The project, named "High-tech BOX," is conceived to evoke the atmosphere of a high-end and technologically advanced laboratory. The form and folds of the booth are derived from preliminary strategies based on the analysis of the immediate context, in this case, a trade fair. The design aims to attract the maximum number of clients, utilizing the concept of inclined walls to draw the attention of potential customers towards the stand. These inclined walls serve as a visual highlight, inviting the spectator to explore the booth. On the other hand, these angular breaks in the design were strategically used to exhibit and showcase the brand's machines, which are a crucial element of the Asper brand. The intention is to create an engaging and visually striking experience, emphasizing both the cutting-edge technology and the core products of the company.
Health Centers - Client: CIBA Contractors
Models 3D
Health Centers I-2 Conopa
Health Centers Illimo
Health Centers Llamellin
Health Centers Cisea
Health Centers Mancos
Health Centers Salud Anta
Health Centers Musga
LINK RECORRIDIO VIRTUAL
School - Client. MOS Arquitectónica SAC
Models 3D
School in Andahuaylas
Sports Court with Solar Panels - Client. AMV ingenieria y servicios SAC
Model 3D
Dystopian Vision
EXTRA - Story Created for the FairyTales Contest This story is inspired by a dystopian future in the city where I live, where informality and uncontrolled urban growth have become the norm. It is an exaggerated vision of what a city can become when it grows disproportionately, without planning or control.
HISTORIAN'S LOG It is the year 2150, and I was born into a world in decay. Growing up, I heard my grandfather recount the change the world underwent. He shared with me how things evolved and passed down a small, worn logbook from his father, where he documented events that defined his generation: Year 2020: The city was chosen for the Olympic Games. A promising future seemed to be on the horizon! The population was committed to being great hosts. An artificial island was constructed near the city for some disciplines. Year 2025: The population increased dramatically. The city's success led to numerous migrations. More structures were built, including residences, schools, social centers, town halls, hospitals, and more. Year 2035: Ten years have passed, and I see the city lacking space. The greed of major corporations sought unprotected areas under heritage laws and began seizing public spaces. A portion of the population opposed this and started trembling at the potential consequences. Year 2040: The venues built during the glorious days of 2020 were neglected. As a result, the artificial island has been invaded by immigrants, the homeless, and addicts. Because a community formed, supported by the workers' union, the government had no choice but to declare it a district. i
Imagen = Year 2060
Year 2045: Pollution increased due to industrial activities. Waste accumulated in the sea, creating a reef of debris that began attaching to the island. Simultaneously, the gases emitted by these industries caused diseases among the population. Treatments were expensive for low-income families; hence, they were abandoned on this corrupted island. This marked the beginning of a marginalized zone. Year 2050: The city became completely congested with uneven urban profiles, lacking public spaces, and facing massive overpopulation. However, thanks to technological advancements, immediate plans were made to design and construct atmosphere-level skyscrapers, serving as the foundation for a future city in the sky that would accommodate a certain sector of the population. I am part of this project and have a secured place in what we call the future "City of the Elysians." Year 2060: Humanity struggles to persist. As for me, I no longer have the strength to continue jotting down memories. In the skies, in the "City of the Elysians," the affluent people live comfortably, constituting 10% of the population. On the ground, known as the "Tartarus Dream," resides 70% of the population—lower-middle class—lacking most basic services. Finally, the remaining 20% lives in the Sea, on the waste peninsula, or as many call it, "Hades' Styx." This population barely survives. I feel lost in this constructed labyrinth. My eyes are consumed by the abyss, and I won't be able to navigate it any longer.
Dystopic vision
EXTRA - Story prepared for the fairy tales contest
City of Elysium
Thanks to my grandfather, I live in the "City of Elysium," by far the most acceptable area to live. We reside in compact spaces, but being only a few hundred settlers, we can live relatively comfortably. The air is humid, and you catch a cold when you inhale it. Only people with strong lungs can lead an active life. Organic food is scarce, produced only in hanging gardens. Energy is obtained from solar panels, enough to power essential appliances. Apart from this, we live by strict rules to maintain balance, all managed by ministers of food, production, labor, and reproduction. Since acquiring that logbook, I haven't stopped thinking about the form that the lower area, dubbed "Tartarus," could have taken. Every time I mentioned that place, everyone warned me to forget it. They're just fictional stories about humanoid creatures devouring each other, akin to dragon and kraken tales in medieval times, they add. All of them ignore the hidden chaos. I wanted to explore it and uncover the truth. Every day I wondered, are we part of the allegory of the cave by accepting our reality as absolute? I decided to escape, even if it meant I could never return. Day 1. Descending into "Tartarus" As I descended, everything darkened. Despite it being daytime, sunlight barely reached. There was a permanent twilight. A mass of people swirled around me, generating a feeling of claustrophobia; I had never experienced such a sensation. Venturing into the megalopolis, the first things I saw were narrow pedestrian passages and towering prefabricated buildings closely packed together. This caused the scant illumination to filter through, leaving a gray panorama. After a while of walking, I realized the concrete chaos had disoriented me, I was lost. Desperate, I traversed paths strewn with waste that led to dead-end alleys. My journey unfolded with shocking scenes: people fighting for garbage containers, markets selling rat and dog meat, looting synthetic food trucks—all accompanied by screams and lamentations. Luckily, I reached a hostel. I stayed but did not sleep that night. I was already living a nightmare. Day 10. "The Styx of Hades" The longer I lived in the "Dream of Tartarus," the sicker I felt. There was no way to maintain optimal hygiene. The air was the opposite of my home; it
blew only dry smog that burned respiratory openings. One day, I observed a line of corpses extending into unused alleys. I followed this putrid trail like breadcrumbs along the lost path. That's how I stumbled upon the artificial waste peninsula, or as my grandfather called it, "The Styx of Hades." It looked more like a cemetery. There were structures of rusted scrap where corpses were piled up for incineration. Instead of seagulls, there were crows, and instead of seashells, there were skulls. Black tides only brought back bones; it was the Styx represented. I saw many hooded people hiding their genetic deformities and mummified individuals in plastic bags. In the peninsula, I observed a horizon of canvas tents. As I approached these tents, people hid; they only lived to exist. A wooden statue stood out in the entire community. It had the shape of an angel. Day 15. Farewell I've lived for 5 days among the sick; discomfort and physical fatigue dominate my body. I undergo drastic daily fasting and explore more of the world of dreams than reality; I have become one of them. Faith is what predominates in this last rung of society. Now I understand that penance was the truth. My pilgrimage… is about to end. Keywords: Overpopulation - Lack of Urban Planning - Incompetent Authorities
LINK PORTFOLIO
A M