The University City of Caracas — the main campus of the Universidad Central de Venezuela, south-west of the centre — is the masterpiece of the architect Carlos Raúl Villanueva. Designed in the 1940s and built over the following two decades, it is one of the great Latin American architectural ensembles and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
Villanueva worked with leading modernist artists of the day — Léger, Calder, Arp, Vasarely, Henri Laurens, and Venezuelan masters like Jesús Soto and Mateo Manaure — embedding their work directly into the architecture. The result is a synthesis of the arts: covered concrete walkways painted with murals, sculpted plazas, and the spectacular Aula Magna concert hall with its Calder acoustic ceiling. The Olympic Stadium and the Botanical Garden are part of the same complex.
Access is via the Ciudad Universitaria metro station. The campus is generally safe by day in groups. Some buildings need permission to enter; the Aula Magna is the must-see.