Cayala entry plaza and pedestrian street

Architect Steve Mouzon is one of the most prolific photographers of urban places, particularly New Urbanism. It’s not easy to take a photo that makes you feel like you are inside, or want to be inside, a great place. This is a photo of the Entry Plaza and Calle Mayor, the primary pedestrian street of Cayalá in Guatemala City.

The steps leading up to the Civic Hall, the classical building that is the main architectural feature of the plaza, are reminiscent of the Mayan pyramids. The capitals of the columns are decorated with corn cobs, the region's traditional staple food. 

This photo appeared in The Art of the New Urbanism, Second Edition, and is used with Steve’s permission.

According to Steve Mouzon, here is the description from AoTNU:

Cayalá was Léon Krier’s last masterwork; designed just a few years after the Guatemalan civil war, it remains the only new place with public areas open to all, day and night. And it’s filled with excellent urbanism and architecture.

This nighttime photo shows the liveliness of the place. It’s a powerful image that makes you want to visit. I have never been to Guatemala, but I if I do, I will see Cayalá. Estudio Urbano and Leon Krier won a 2021 CNU Charter Award for Cayalá.