Utter disbelief! This is the powerful sense that you feel when you enter the old Javier College, which has left its history behind and opened its doors to the best in contemporary design, architecture, decoration and landscaping.

This is all thanks to Casa Cor 2008, which enables old buildings, most of which are in a very poor state, to be restored and transformed into places that are full of life, color and creativity. The underlying objective of this exhibition is to provide Panama, and the whole world, with an opportunity to appreciate the talents of local designers, who believe they are the equal of any foreign designers in their ability to transform an area into an original and homely environment; and they also do it using local furnishings, technology and art.

Visitors can now experience the realization of this vision first hand in Javier College, in the 45 different proposals, each of them using the best of contemporary design. Every corner of the building bears witness to clean and simple lines that don’t grate on the senses, which transform the old classrooms into luxurious living rooms, bedrooms, libraries, bathrooms, gardens... There is also room for a post modern crèche which will thrill any child.

The designers who have contributed to this transformation certainly do not lack inspiration. Despite the somewhat dangerous conditions that they had to work with, the old estate building is suffused with a unique atmosphere, a magic that easily stimulates the imagination to take flight. And the building’s location facing the sea certainly influenced the architects, designers and landscapers as they gave rein to their creativity.

So it is no surprise that these craftsmen have enlisted the Pacific Ocean as an additional design element in their creations. From the windows, the visitors appreciated its warm waters while inside the succession of interiors unveiled the very latest designs.

It is difficult to know where to start detailing Casa Cor’s achievements because each of the designs deserves our attention. However we have to start somewhere, so let’s start with the salon, with its walls, floor and furnishings all decorated in neutral colors. The designer chose to convert the huge window dominating the space into a natural work of art, providing visitors with a view of the ocean’s vastness and the city’s modern architecture.

The same tones were used for the master bedroom, using simple lines with the king-size bed supported against a mirror wall, giving the impression of greater space leading the viewer to believe that the space was much larger than it really was. Also worth a mention were the eye-catching spaces in one of the side walls, architectural features that could be used to display works of art or natural objects.

Having mentioned nature, it is interesting to observe that the vast majority of the contributing artists at Casa Cor sought to involve tropical plants and trees, or colors that evoke these natural objects, in their designs.

Casa Cor delighted visitors with one surprise after another as they moved through the interior of Javier College. One of these was the internal Oriental garden, which could easily have come from a home in China or Japan. Another example was the study dominated by a beautiful carved wooden desk, resting on pedestals whimsically evocative of ancient carved stone columns. The bar was yet another delight, one of the most innovative elements in the whole exhibition, where the large wine cellar, open to public view, grabbed the gaze of any passing visitor.

Remembering how Javier College looked before and what it looks like now, we can say with certainty that the transformation is truly unbelievable. It is a shame that funds from private business donations and box office receipts have not been sufficient to allow the works created by the participants to be left intact. However, the transformation that these buildings have witnessed has planted a seed that we hope will awaken the interest of investors, in the enormous potential that this architectural treasure still harbors within its walls. This is the first step in bringing it back to life.