A Vibrant Life Amid the Ruins of Rio
Peter Bauza was so taken by the lives of squatters forced to live in a half-finished apartment complex in Rio de Janeiro that he moved into their struggling, yet vibrant, community.
An abandoned apartment complex in the Campo Grande neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro shocked Peter Bauza when he encountered the ghostly scene. Six large concrete shells — paused in midconstruction 30 years ago — were surrounded by mud and garbage. Yet the complex was not bereft of life: Colorful curtains covered the openings where windows should have been, hinting that the buildings were occupied.