Publication

  • Concrete under the Sun: Brutalism in the Dominican Republic
    Alex Martínez Suárez
    Editor
    Marcos Blonda, Mauricia Dominguez, and Carmen Ortega
    Contributors
    Arquitexto, 2027
  • GRANTEE
    Alex Martínez Suárez
    GRANT YEAR
    2026

Alex Martínez Suárez, "View of Erwin Cott and Manuel Salvador Gautier, Capilla del Hogar Escuela Salesiana de Haina, Santo Domingo, República Dominicana, built 1965," 2013. Photograph, 8 1/2 × 5 3/5 in. Courtesy Alex Martínez Suárez

This publication explores the Brutalist architectural heritage of the Dominican Republic, focusing on its cultural, historical, and architectural significance. Featuring more than thirty selected case studies, it provides a detailed view to the most notable examples of Brutalism in the country, from monumental public buildings to private structures that embody the bold use of concrete, form, and function. Accompanied by three invited essays from leading experts in architecture and preservation, the guide contextualizes these works within the broader discourse of mid-twentieth century modernism, urbanization, and political change. Both a timeline including international brutalist projects and a map highlighting the location of these key buildings enhance the reader’s engagement, offering a practical tool for exploration and dissemination. This project aims to foster a deeper appreciation for Dominican Brutalism while advocating for its preservation, contributing to the conversation on the sustainable adaptation and protection of architectural heritage in the Caribbean.

Alex Martínez Suárez is a Dominican architect, researcher, and curator. He holds an advanced master’s in architecture from the Berlage Institute in the Netherlands and a postgraduate degree in museum studies from Harvard University in the United States. He is the director of Archipiélago, a multidisciplinary platform engaged in architecture, academic and cultural projects. He has taught at Harvard University, at the Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico), and teaches at Universidad Iberoamericana UNIBE (Dominican Republic). He has curated and coedited several projects on the subject of modernism, such as Architecture in the Path of the Sun: Understanding Dominican Modernity (Lad, 2014) for the country’s first participation in the 14th International Architecture Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia (2014) and coauthored the book/exhibition Jaragua no cae (Centro León, 2021) with a grant by the Graham Foundation. He was honored with two awards at the XII Dominican Republic Architecture and Urbanism Biennale and a silver medal at the 2025 Caribbean Architecture Biennale.