CHARAS and the reimagination of Loisaida

"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." -- (Viewed November 23, 2020)