Ministry of Culture

This guide to Peru's Ministry of Culture in Lima tells the story of the building's original purpose, a nine-story brutalist headquarters finished in 1970 for the government's brand-new Ministry of Fisheries, at the height of the country's record-breaking anchovy catch. You'll hear how an El Niño current and years of ignored catch limits collapsed the industry within two years, and how the half-orphaned building sat empty before finding new occupants. Look up at the atrium bridge crossing overhead as you walk in.