Light Kiosk

Built in 1910 to house the technological exposition to commemorate the first one-hundred years of Colombia’s independence, this structure is an important, yet obscure, part of the nation’s history. 

Donated by a cement company to advertise cement construction, it became Colombia’s first fully cement structure as a 1:1 replica of the Petit Trianon belvedere in Versaille. However more than just a Parisian replicate, the folly became a symbol that marked the arrival and development of electricity in Bogotá as it housed a small power plant which illuminated several important landmarks of the city, like the Plaza de Bolívar and nearby public parks. 

Besides being the last remnant of the celebrations which marked the centennial of Colombia being an independent country, the kiosk has served many functional purposes as an exhibition venue for the arts, a satellite Athenaeum for the National Library, and since 1993, a visitor’s center for those wishing to learn more about the history, culture and recreation of the city.