Many
have heard of Torre de David, but few
have even
been inside. This
video gives a rare peek into the families who live there. La Torre de David, the unfinished 45-story skyscraper-turned-slum in the heart of Caracas, is many things. It’s known internationally as the world’s tallest vertical slum, the only one of its kind. It’s
been the subject of several long-form stories, photographic essays, and self-congratulatory design biennales. Once meant as a crowning achievement of Venezuela’s economic growth, in recent years it’s
been alternately adopted and derided as the symbol of the country’s socialist turn under the direction of Hugo Chavez. In short, it’s an icon, and as with any icon, you read into it what you will. What’s most compelling about Torre de David is the polarizing effect it has over Venezuela’s capital city. This figures centrally in a new
video short by Vocativ. The report, which offers a rare look inside the building, highlights how split public opinion of the tower is, with diverging perspectives from those who call the tower home and from those who don’t.Read Full Story