CHARAS and the reimagination of Loisaida

About this book

"Focusing on Loisaida (the Latinized pronunciation for the Lower East Side in New York City, coined by activist and poet Bimbo Rivas), I want to explore how the Puerto Rican activist organization CHARAS crafted alternative notions of power and ownership over their community with the adaption of a newly emerging architectural object: the geodesic dome. Through a historicization and contextualization of the geodesic dome, I will argue that CHARAS transformed the dome into a symbol of community building for Loisaida. CHARAS used the image of the dome to provide Loisaida a means to explore their own understanding of the physical environment and their identities." -- https://commencement.gsd.harvard.edu/thesis2020/portfolio/wilfred-guerron/ (Viewed November 23, 2020)