Just defining the route took us months. There was also the Council for Monuments to consider; after all, the building is designated as a National Monument, a Historic District, and a Historic Preservation Zone. It was the building with the most regulations in Chile! It was practically impossible to do anything there. But everything turned out incredibly well. AOA R What is your firm's relationship like with the community and neighbors when you work on projects in Valparaíso? JV R Here’s a theory: Getting pelted with tomatoes at the first meeting with the neighbors is a good strategy. At Cerro San Juan de Dios, I really insisted that we had to explain to the neighbors what we wanted to do there—which was to build an apartment complex. There were 50 or 60 people at the meeting. One teacher was so furious and was yelling so loudly that eventually the others had to calm him down. Then they turned against him. We ended up discussing the concrete truck schedules. They even asked us how much the apartments would cost. AOA R Of all the projects you've completed, how many are for residents of Valparaíso, and how many are second homes for people from Santiago? JV R We built Bettina for people to live there, and all the units are now occupied. The Magnolio condominium was originally occupied by out- of-towners and Airbnb tourists, but over time it has attracted more and more local residents. However, housing construction has dropped off significantly in recent years, creating a major shortage in the city and across the country. The projects we’ve designed in Valparaíso in recent years consist of buildings with no more than 30 studio units averaging 30m2, most of which are operated by Airbnb. AOA R Is it a paradigm shift? JV R Sometimes people are stubborn and try to force things based on their desires. Family-oriented properties are becoming less and less marketable. Ultimately, the one who gets the ball rolling is the one who brings in the business—the client—and that’s where Airbnb comes in. AOA R When you're introduced to a property you like, where does the first narrative begin? JV R First, we look at the regulations. We use them to work on the vol- ume—the project itself. The Buenos Aires regulations and Article 31, regarding the fifth facade, require you to explain how your project relates to the city’s settlement pattern. When designing a continuous facade, you must understand that the proposed volume is part of a whole—the city block. There’s an urban context to consider. AOA R Mena's facade is iconic in that sense. JV R The relationship between the sidewalk, base, and scale. In the case of San Juan de Dios, it was a challenge because there was a palm tree in the center, for example. So, it was important to preserve the palm tree, which was also a neighborhood landmark. To protect the palm tree, we interrupted the continuous facade, and a very interesting design emerged. The palm tree had been there for 50 years, and people were used to seeing it. AOA R Regarding the use of metal in housing projects, how do you relate that to the training at PUCV? JV R That training helps you discover the properties of materials and, above all, to work with what’s available. We try to reinterpret their design, their installation, their approach. Ultimately, we try to put a new spin on a wooden board, on a brick. It’s a structural challenge. There’s also an element of craftsmanship to it. Unique materials emerge. There’s value in that; there’s a whole experience to it. !
modern movement
In December 1933, the Municipality of Valparaíso commissioned the Valparaíso Institute of Urban Planning to organize a preliminary design competition to transform Plaza Sotomayor¹. This competition would pro- vide the guidelines for the new regulations governing the area, including the malecón—the coastal promenade that was gradually taking shape. Thus, in February 1934, architects were invited to submit design concepts for the transformation². The goal was to create a modern layout for the plaza that would incorporate the Puerto and Correos station buildings, which were to be built in a couple of years. However, the splendor and proportions of the City Hall and Grace Shipping Company buildings also had to be preserved. First place went to Pedro Becker. Broadly speaking, the jury felt that the proposal could be easily and quickly implemented. By modifying the eastern building line, the proposal allowed the Intendencia’s facade to remain centered. The elevated structures that define the plaza´s axis itself are highlighted³ without obstructing pedestrian traffic at street level. Subsequently, the Valparaíso Institute of Urban Planning would produce a final version of the proposal. The construction of the Puerto Station Tower (1935) and the Customs Tower (1937)—designed by architects Luis Herreros and Fernando Silva, respectively—symbolically served as the gateway to Valparaíso from its maritime link. The new eastern flank of the plaza was completed with the construction of the Post Office building, designed by architect Marcelo Deglin and inaugurated in 1942—a project that caused signif- icant disagreements among some members of the Valparaíso Institute of Urban Planning⁴. Four years later, in February 1938, the First Valparaíso Urban Plan- ning Congress was held. This event provided a platform for a series of Valparaíso. Adapted Modernity By: Javier Contreras González. Architect, Universidad de Valparaíso. Master’s degree in Urban Development from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Master’s degree from the Department of Architectural Projects at Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña. Researcher and Professor. 1 Molina, C. (2004). Architecture Competitions in Chile. National Council for Culture and Arts. p. 78-81 2 Plaza Sotomayor and the surrounding area will undergo a complete transformation. (8 de febrero de 1934). El Mercurio (Valparaíso), p.9 3 Bastiancig, A., Contreras, A., Herreros, L., Moya, C., Riofrio, A., Valenzuela, M., Silva, F., (1934), The Preliminary Design Competition for the Transformation of Plaza Sotomayor in Valparaíso. Valparaíso Institute of Urban Planning Newsletter, 35-38 4 Cortés, M. (2013). Pieces vs. Plan, Viña del Mar vs. Valparaíso: Publication in periodicals in the 1930s. AS Magazine, (44), 20-33
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