Asunción 500 Years: The New Cycle of a Comprehensive Transformation of the Historic Center Advances with Works, Technical Guidelines and a Coordinated Agenda Towards 2037

An urban vision articulated between institutions, technical criteria and cultural actions marks the beginning of the greatest historical and heritage recovery of Asunción in decades.

The National Commission “Asunción 500 Years” held its Fifth General Coordination Session with an increasingly defined roadmap for the urban, historical, and cultural legacy that Paraguay will deliver to its citizens in 2037. At this meeting, the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC), the National Secretariat of Culture (SNC), the Municipality of Asunción, the Office of the First Lady (OPD), and multilateral organizations presented a joint progress report on works, technical guidelines, and projects that seek to structurally transform the Historic Center and prepare the capital for its fifth centenary.

The Commission, led by the First Lady of the Nation, Leticia Ocampos, has established itself as the primary institutional forum where public policies, technical criteria, and multi-sectoral initiatives converge to shape the future of the historic center. This effort represents a profound shift from the isolated interventions of the past: for the first time, work is being carried out under a coordinated, phased vision with a comprehensive approach that combines urban infrastructure, heritage restoration, social revitalization, and citizen participation, recognizing that the revitalization of the Historic Center must be as much physical as cultural.

During the session, the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) presented the Historic Center of Asunción Subcomponent of the Urban Resilience Improvement Project, along with the official launch of the new Urban Design Manual for the Historic Center, considered one of the most important technical instruments of recent years. This manual goes beyond simply proposing aesthetic improvements: it establishes mandatory standards that will govern all public and private works in the area, with the aim of ensuring coherence, urban continuity, universal accessibility, and an architectural identity that respects heritage. Its definitions cover street and sidewalk typologies, permitted materials, corners and pedestrian crossings, street furniture, green infrastructure, sustainable drainage, and landscape criteria, in addition to strict guidelines for interventions on heritage buildings and spaces of high civic value.

In parallel, the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) announced that the Historic Center will receive an initial investment of USD 10.5 million to revitalize strategic corridors and emblematic spaces. The Paraguayo Independiente Civic Corridor, Plaza Uruguaya, Plaza Mayor, and Plaza de los Desaparecidos will be the first areas targeted for improvement, along with the restoration of the Railway Station. Furthermore, a number of key buildings will be prioritized due to their institutional and heritage significance: the López Palace, the National Police Headquarters, the Metropolitan Cathedral, La Providencia School, the México-Mcal. Estigarribia axis, and various civic connection points. This initial phase lays the foundation for a high-quality urban corridor, capable of integrating pedestrian mobility, public use, cultural activities, and a restored environment that will also encourage private investment.

To consolidate a comprehensive assessment, the National Secretariat of Culture, the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC), the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), and the Municipality presented an updated inventory of completed, ongoing, and planned works, prepared with support from the Office of Heritage Design (OPD). The survey includes more than 40 heritage buildings and spaces, an unprecedented number that demonstrates the magnitude of the ongoing historical updating process. The completed works demonstrate a sustained momentum in building restoration. The comprehensive restoration of the Palacio Alegre as the headquarters of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the revitalization of the Staudt Building to house cultural offices of the National Secretariat of Culture, and the enhancement of the Ueno Bank Palma building are in addition to interventions at the Casa Ardissone, the Palacete Netto, Italianate-style houses, the Bar Nacional, commercial buildings on 25 de Mayo Street, the historic house on Humaitá Street, the Cusmanich Workshops, and sensitive areas of the Port of Asunción. These actions, many financed through mixed public-private schemes, set a precedent for the revitalization of the historic center as a residential, administrative and cultural space.

In addition to these completed projects, more than fifteen works are currently underway, consolidating a vibrant heritage corridor. Among them are the conservation of the National Archives of Asunción and the first phase of improvements to the House of Independence, both spearheaded by the National Secretariat of Culture (SNC). Progress is also being made on the conversion of the Port Warehouses for gastronomic and cultural use, the restoration of the Hotel Embajador, the Duarte Mansion, and the Armed Forces Cooperative building. The Paraguayan Independent Axis and the Plaza de Armas are undergoing archaeological and restoration work, while Caballero Park is in the executive design phase. The Victoria Cinema, although currently on hold, is part of the strategic inventory and has defined technical protocols. Together, these projects are revitalizing urban life in historic areas whose renewal has never before progressed in such a simultaneous and coordinated manner.

The projected timeline for 2025–2037 includes a package of interventions aimed at consolidating a fully restored Historic Center. The restoration of La Recova through the Tekorendá–Itaipu Program, the rehabilitation of the Patri Palace, the North Courtyard of the Municipal Theater, and the Heyn, Zanotti, and Ligier mansions are among the priorities. Interventions are also planned for CAPASA (the municipal water and sanitation company), the Serafina Dávalos House, the former brewery, and the former Segundo Ybarra yerba mate factory, in addition to a project to repurpose the National Police Headquarters as a civic museum, returning to the public one of the most symbolic buildings in the country's contemporary history. The restoration of the Railway Station is progressing based on defined technical studies, while the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) and Itaipu are planning the comprehensive restoration of the Metropolitan Cathedral, a project of great importance to the spiritual and architectural heart of the city. Many of these projects already have consolidated technical reports and are in the critical stage of securing funding.

A central aspect of the strategy is the social and cultural component driven by the Office of the First Lady. Under Leticia Ocampos' leadership, initiatives like the Palmear Fair have revitalized Palma Street and encouraged new private investment in restoration, demonstrating that the recovery of the Historic Center cannot be limited to infrastructure projects. The agenda complements the physical work with community engagement activities, including Palma Brilla (Palma Shines) and Navidad Florece en Paraguay (Christmas Blooms in Paraguay), which have brought family life back to the city center and fostered a sense of ownership among residents. The Office of the First Lady also promotes historical cultural circuits such as Loma San Jerónimo, the House of Independence, and the Pantheon of Heroes, in addition to supporting the inventory, organization, and enhancement of emblematic buildings like the López Palace. This social dimension is key for urban restoration to transcend architecture and become a process of rebuilding the bond between community, identity, and public space.

With all these actions, the transformation of the Historic Center is beginning to take shape as one of the most ambitious urban projects in Asunción's recent history. The coordination between institutions, the technical rigor of the new Urban Design Manual, the initial investment already approved, the magnitude of the heritage inventory, and the integration of physical works with cultural activities demonstrate a structural shift in the way the city is planned. By 2037, the Paraguayan capital could recover not only its historic buildings but also its original purpose as a civic, cultural, tourist, and community center. What is underway is not merely a series of projects: it is the construction of a legacy.