The Vertical Slum of Caracas

The Torre de David is a massive, unfinished skyscraper that once served as a spontaneous vertical city. After construction stopped in 1994, thousands of squatters moved in, creating their own self-governing community without elevators or utilities.

This 45-story tower was originally intended to be a centerpiece of modern finance in Venezuela. When the banking crisis hit, the project was abandoned and sat empty until families reclaimed it as a housing solution. Residents eventually built makeshift electrical grids and even installed a motorcycle taxi service to navigate the upper floors. While it has since been evacuated, the structure remains a haunting testament to how people adapt to urban instability.