ENRIQUE BROWNE & ASSOCIATE ARCHITECTS COMPLETE CATALOGUE PUBLICATIONS PROFILE ARCHITECTURE VIDEOS DESIGN
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COMMERCIAL CENTER VITACURA-MANQUEHUE TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Vitacura Distric, Santiago de Chile Architects: Enrique Browne, Patricio Wenborne and Eduardo San Martin Collaborators: Jorge Campos and Ricardo Judson Site Area: 7.500 m2 Constructed Area: 8.425 m2. Structural Consultants: Fernando del Sol, H.Vogel, R.Mujica Project Date: 1978 Construction Date: 1978 - 79 Contractor: Brotec Photographs: Guy Wenborne, Enrique Browne The basis of the project was the creation of interior streets that would integrate into the neighborhood and group different buildings to the scale of the residences in the sector. On these streets, besides containing parking and trees, vehicles and pedestrians coexist. This solution multiplies the commercials frontages, avoids deserted areas of parking, and accentuates the urban character of the cluster. The terrain has a slope of 2.6 meters in height between the extremes of east and west. The perimeter streets were maintained at the upper level, while the interior streets were located at the lower level, linking them with ramps. This way, two levels of stores were achieved both at street level, thus duplicating the commercial frontage. These different levels gave rise to pedestrian bridges which cross the interior streets. In order to avoid commercial fronts with decreasing value, two diagonal pedestrian walkways were traced. Their intersection is adjacent to the virtual axis which unites the two small attached plazas to the terrain. At this point, a 10-story office building was located. This sets up the geometric center of the project and settles the cluster vertically. All these geometrical arrangements are made with 30º, 60º, and 90º angles. All the pedestrian walkways are covered, producing "intermediate spaces" between interiors and exteriors. These circulations are united by bridges and stairs, with a large variety of possible routes. Brick and tile, materials very commonly used in the houses in this sector, were employed in these buildings. These buildings conformed by continuous perimeter walls whose inclination is determined by the slopes of the roofs that lower towards different directions. Diagonals are thus produced on the elevations, which unify the different buildings. The cluster, with its lower commercial buildings and its office tower, assimilates to the general appearance of the neighborhood, where houses coexist with the buildings. From a certain angle, the cluster reminds the Manquehue hill, which faces the commercial center. Inside, a gallery has certain points of contact with the Merida Museum of Rafael Moneo. This is mere coincidence, because the Santiago Commercial Center is 6 years previous (1979 vs. 1985).