Before the banking crisis, in the 90s, Torre de David was intended to be a proud building at the very heart of Venezuela’s financial district. The Guardian reports that in 2007 squatters forced their way into the unfinished project. Some interesting points from the report include:

• The building has a formal management structure divided into bureaucratic departments ranging from health to security.
• “It’s a city within a city” with shops, salons, cybercafés and other establishments on various floors of the building.
• There is no sewage system and so water is delivered by lorry.
• Housing is allocated according to needs. Older people who have difficulty with stairs (there are no functioning elevators) are given lower level spaces.

To read more about what separates home owners from a 30 foot drop, as well as what the government thinks about the development click here.

Source: The Guardian