E NG LISH VE RSION • ARCHITECTOUR
Concrete landscapes Cofounder, CEO and editor of the most read architecture blog in the world, ArchDaily, Chilean architect David Basulto uses his expert eye to analyze some of the most significant works in Santiago, Chile BY FRANCISCO PARDO
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“VIEWE D FROM THE OUTSIDE, THE ARCHITECTURE OF CHILE IS A C O M B I N AT I O N O F LANDSCAPES AND THINGS MADE O U T O F S PAR E RESOURCES. AS SUCH, IT IS CLEAN A N D M I N I M A L I S T: P U R E M AT E R I A L”
GAM “This building is loaded with history. It's like an X-ray of the past 40 years in Chile. Built during the presidency of Salvador Allende, it was used as the Ministry of Defense under the dictatorship and damaged by a fire in 2006. Due to its great potential, an architecture competition was held in order to decide the circumstances of the building's reopening. And the result is an undisputed success. As soon as you step inside, you see a place full of life with children rehearsing choreography on the patios, people juggling, etc. Another strong suit is its ample cultural events lineup.”
CENTRO INNOVACIÓN UC ANACLETO ANGELINI “This work by Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena — winner of the 2016 Pritzker Prize — is one of the most relevant of the past few years and, most importantly, a structure that demonstrates that good architecture doesn't have to be a box of glass. It's a massive building that really relates to the surrounding landscape. Some see it as a monolithic rock, but inside there are open spaces for innovation, with an empty center where everyone can see each other, filled with places that motivate informal thinking. It's like a large thinking brain: on the outside it looks a bit hermetic, but inside it's full of life.” 196
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