FADCOM lecturer Lourdes Pilay, Ph.D., delivered a talk entitled ‘Iconography of Silence: Ornaments in Guayaquil’s Heritage Architecture’ on Saturday 17 October 2026 at 10.00 am at the Presley Norton Museum. The event explored the historical, cultural and visual value of the city’s heritage façades.
The research proposes recognising details such as mouldings, wrought-iron grilles, signboards, and geometric and organic patterns as part of Guayaquil’s visual memory. These elements reflect cultural influences, craft techniques and urban transformations that help to shape the identity of the neighbourhoods and their inhabitants. Through her doctoral research, Pilay examines the role of graphic design as a link between the city and its tangible cultural heritage. Her methodology combines theoretical review, case study analysis, ethnography and the development of graphic design projects, through direct observation and the collection of qualitative data.
This study examines the role of graphic design in interpreting and highlighting these elements through methodologies that include observation, case studies and the collection of qualitative data. It also explores how editorial and typographic projects can help to reinterpret architectural details and communicate their cultural significance to the public. The research responds to the transformation of the urban landscape and the gradual disappearance of architectural features that form part of Guayaquil’s history. Documenting and publicising these features enables them to be recognised as expressions of the local visual culture and helps to promote their preservation and appreciation by the public.
© Photography: Gabriel Valencia and Vhadir Quincha / Text: José Luis Castro
