The unfinished corporate skyscraper has been a squat
for thousands of locals since 2007.
Originally built as the Confinanzas Financial Center, the Caracas skyscraper now known as the "Tower
of David" (named after its original developer, David Brillembourg)
has sat unfinished since 1994.
A real estate victim of a national banking crisis, the 45-story structure sat
idle (28 floors are inhabitable) before eventually becoming a home for thousands ofsquatters.
Since 2007, an estimated 3,000
Caraqueños live inside, shelling out a $32 monthly condo fee of sorts,
which helps pay for security. The building has a violent reputation but residents tell Reuters that new leadership has kicked out most of the
troublemakers. Occupants who violate the building's rules are given service
duties as determined by a co-operative.
Many inside the Tower of David
relocated from other, far more dangerous slums around the city. One woman who
moved into the nearly 25-year old glass tower tells Reuters, "there is far more
order and far less crime in here than out there."
Earlier this year, Reuters photographer Jorge Silva
explored one of the world's most unique slums, getting an incredible, up-close
look at how residents inside the unfinished skyscraper live their daily lives. citylab
All images © REUTERS/Jorge Silva
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