Casapueblo: Art and Architecture on the Uruguayan Coast
Casapueblo — the extraordinary white sculptural building cascading down a cliff above the Atlantic Ocean at Punta Ballena — was built by Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró over 40 years as a living artwork; it is now part art museum, part hotel, and part artist's residence
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Carlos Páez Vilaró
Carlos Páez Vilaró (1923-2014) was Uruguay's most celebrated multidisciplinary artist; he built Casapueblo by hand over 40 years, beginning in 1958; the architectless building — pure sculptural intuition applied to architecture — is described as the world's greatest work of art; Vilaró's murals, ceramics and paintings fill the interior
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The shape of the building
The white, organic form of the Casapueblo – inspired by the dove and Mediterranean vernacular architecture Vilaró saw in Ibiza – cascades down the cliff in a series of terraces, domes and curved walls; there are no straight lines or right angles in the building; the structure was built by hand without architectural plans
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Sunset Ritual
Casapueblo has a daily sunset ritual — at sunset, the building's lights are dimmed, a trumpet is played, and the crowd gathered on the terrace watches the sun set over the Atlantic in silence; the ritual, started by Vilaró himself, has become one of Uruguay's most memorable tourist experiences
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Museum and Hotel
The Casapueblo complex includes an art museum (with Páez Vilaró's work in all media), a boutique hotel (in the original residential areas), a restaurant and a gallery selling reproductions; the museum visit provides access to the building's interior spaces, each furnished as an extension of the artist's creative world
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Punta Ballena environment
Casapueblo is located on Punta Ballena (Whale Point) — a scenic promontory 12 km west of Punta del Este proper; the cape has a panoramic ride along the ridge with views of both the Atlantic and Río de la Plata; the combination of the cape landscape and Casapueblo makes Punta Ballena the most rewarding day trip from the resort
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Influence on Uruguayan Art
The broader work of Casapueblo and Páez Vilaró has been central to the definition of a distinct Uruguayan artistic identity; the building has appeared on Uruguayan stamps, banknotes and is the most internationally recognized Uruguayan cultural landmark; its unconventional approach to art, life and architecture reflects a distinct Uruguayan sense of creativity