Neiva Cultural Center

The Banco de la República Cultural Center in Neiva is a commitment to culture, knowledge, and the environment in the department of Huila. It is the most important cultural center in the region and a meeting point for students, researchers, and audiences of all ages. The innovative building design includes solutions to facilitate access and movement of people with physical and visual disabilities throughout the building’s three levels.

It has become a meeting point for citizens, a place where men and women of all ages, occupations, and professions have access to technology and information resources, where users can consult texts, conduct research, participate in web conferences, and enjoy varied cultural programming in arts, music, and heritage—all through workshops and services that the population of Huila can access free of charge. The Banco de la República has geared its services in Huila towards promoting the sociocultural development of the department, in order to dynamize and reclaim the region’s traditional cultural expressions.

History

In 1925, the central bank opened an agency in the city of Neiva. It became a branch in 1950, by order of the board of directors. In 1967, the current offices were inaugurated on Calle 6 and Carrera 5. Until 2005, it served as an office for financial services and advisory and the department’s center for economic studies.

In 2006, the Banco de la República adapted its facilities to begin providing cultural services and the Cultural Center officially opened in Neiva, although a few years earlier, cultural programming had been offered through agreements with various institutions in the region, including the Departmental Secretariat of Culture, the Huila Archaeological Museum, and Comfamiliar.

In 2012, Neiva joined Banco de la República’s National Concert Season for the first time, presenting the Colombian singer Claudia Gómez and the American quartet Boston Brass. It also welcomed the exhibition History of Colombia Through Photography (Historia de Colombia a través de la fotografía) and educational showcases by Colombian designer Dicken Castro and Polish composer Frédéric Chopin.

The new Cultural Center was inaugurated on April 16, 2013. It has an inclusive, environmentally friendly design and spaces equipped with the best furnishings and technological tools. It occupies 3,600 square meters and is located at Carrera 5 and Carrera 67, the location that used to house the central bank’s financial services section until 2005.

The three-story building has become a national pioneer thanks to its bioclimatic design with green roofs, natural light, solar panels, and many other elements that reduce the building’s thermal load, resulting in an eco-sustainable and environmentally friendly building.