we understand it today. It is no longer a matter of recreational travel, but rather a planned economic sector that requires infrastructure, transpor- tation, accommodation, government regulation, and advertising. The promotion of tourism was accompanied by various publications that, from 1930 onwards, disseminated information about the country's geography and culture, such as the Baedeker Guide and La guía del ve- raneante (The Summer Traveler's Guide), private initiatives designed as practical manuals for vacations. For their part, the magazines El amigo viajero (The Traveling Friend) and En Viaje (On the Road) were published by Ferrocarriles del Estado (State Railways) for cultural and tourist promotion, showcasing landscapes, heritage, and local traditions, while encouraging the use of trains as a means of transportation. Complementing these ef- forts, around 1929, the State joined in on this work by creating the Tourism Section of the Ministry of Development, the first public body dedicated to promoting tourism in the country. Likewise, in 1930, President Ibáñez del Campo began construction of the Pan-American Highway3 to Arica in the north and Puerto Montt in the south as a strategy to consolidate tourism in other unknown locations and areas of Chile. In terms of infrastructure, references were taken from private invest- ments in Santiago that were operating at the time. Examples of this are the Hotel Crillón (Alberto Siegel and Augusto Geiger, 1917-1919), origi- nally the Larraín Building, which was initially the residence of the Larraín García Moreno family; and the Hotel Mundial (Alberto Shade and Rodulfo Oyarzún, 1923), initially the corporate building of the La Mundial Insurance Company, which between 1935 and 1975 functioned as a luxury hotel. During the second terms of President Arturo Alessandri Palma and President Pedro Aguirre Cerda, Ferrocarriles del Estado played a key role in actively promoting tourism in order to increase demand for rail trans- portation (Cortés, 2014). Following the management model of the Arica La Paz railway company with the Hotel Pacífico in Arica (Carlos Alcaide and Carlos Cruzat, 1925), FFEE understood the need to establish a hotel network to accommodate new tourists, embarking on the construction of a network of hotels outside the capital through its Architecture De- partment. Among these were the Hotel Pucón (1935), the Hotel Turismo de Ovalle (1935), the Hotel Puerto Varas (1937), the Hostería Tejas Verdes in Llolleo (José Carles, 1937), the Hotel Puyehue (Eugen and Fritz Freitag, 1939-1947), the Hotel Portillo (Martín Lira, 1941-1949), and the Hotel Prat de Iquique (1948). This first series of “grand hotel” buildings was located in founding centers or natural areas, creating landmarks within the territory. Monumental in character within their surroundings, they are generally located in areas of urban expansion or in politically strategic areas—near border crossings—which, in addition to consolidating them, establish a new scale for the landscape. At the same time, there are government actions (local and central) to build urban complexes as tourist destinations (Cortés, 2014). This type of building, also associated with large hotels, consists of large structures that often match the height of adjacent buildings, consolidating the urban block and integrating into the urban fabric and the network of passages and streets. Notable examples include the Hotel Burnier (Carlos Buschmann and Héctor Mardones, 1930-1933), which is part of a series of interventions around the Plaza de Armas in Osorno; the efforts of the municipality of Viña del Mar, which, intending to promote the Garden City as a vacation destination, built the Hotel O'Higgins (Vicente Collovich, Fernando Silva, and Arnaldo Barison, 1931) and the Hotel Miramar (Aquiles Landoff, Luis Browne, and Manuel Valenzuela, 1937-1946); and the Hotel Carrera (Josué Smith Solar and Josué Smith Miller, 1937-1940), which forms part of the urban complex of the Zona Típica Barrio Cívico de Santiago (declared by Decree No. 462 of 2008), conceived as an empty space to the north and south of the Palacio de la Moneda to give this emblematic building the necessary monumentality. Efforts to provide infrastructure for tourism and leisure were consoli- dated around 1944, during the radical governments of Juan Antonio Ríos and Gabriel González Videla, with the creation of Consorcio Hotelero
cross-cutting and has evolved over time, including the development of important urban projects such as the consolidation of civic centers and state buildings, to small interventions in rural areas. The construction of public buildings over time is a fundamental pillar to achieve the State's main objectives, representing the people's concrete experience and the spatial correlation that materializes public policies over the territory. It is a material approximation to the political and social changes that citizens experienced in different periods of our history. A concrete example of this was the educational reform implemented in Chile in 1997, which extended the full school day, which had direct effects on family finances, given the possibility that mothers could work for pay, save on the cost of their children's lunches, and leave their children´s care to third parties. However, this required allocating resources to invest in infrastructure that would allow the same number of students to use schools and high schools for more hours each day. Until then, many schools operated in two shifts, so it was necessary to invest in additional infrastructure and equipment. Recently, the Directorate's institutional work has taken on the responsi- bility of preserving the country's architectural heritage, leading restoration and conservation processes for historic buildings that form part of the collective memory and are used for cultural and institutional purposes based on identity. This heritage aspect has been key to strengthening cultural identity and the sense of national belonging. In turn, it allows us to return to our origins, understand the needs and interests of the various projects that reflect the evolution of public policies and changes in our society over time. Likewise, the MOP's Architecture Directorate manages an archive of plans through its Technical Documentation Center, which constitutes an invaluable record of the country's public buildings. This archive was declared a National Monument by Decree No. 142 of 2017 of the Ministry of Education, which states that this collection of plans: “constitutes the main record and testimony of the history of public building in our country, an exceptional source of information to develop studies in the field of architectural design, and an important part of the historical memory of Chilean architecture”. In particular, this archive constitutes the main record and testimony of the history of public building in our country, being an exceptional source of information to develop studies in the field of architectural design and Chilean public building, and a decisive part of the historical memory of our architecture. It consists of 120,000 digitized plans dating from 1987 to 2000, when digital plans became widespread. This collection of documents is evidence of the role played by the State in the construction of public buildings in Chile through the Directorate of Architecture. This archive reflects the legacy built up by the State over time and provides insight into how public buildings were designed and constructed in their early days, the techniques used, and the architectural styles and typologies incorporated into public architecture. It also bears witness to the evolution of public buildings in response to the changes and new needs of Chilean society. Contemporary Challenges: Architecture at the Service of the People The Architecture Directorate's mission is to “develop, build, and maintain high-quality buildings and public spaces through projects undertaken by the Ministry of Public Works or mandated by other institutions, consolidating the physical spaces of public policies to contribute to sustainable, resilient, inclusive, participatory, and relevant development in its territories”. This mission aims to contribute to the consolidation of public policies, providing identity and relevance, and addressing the needs of civil servants, public services, and citizens to improve the experience of people who need to use facilities provided by the State. In this sense, innovation must be part of its strategic vision, incorporating new technologies, sustainable materials, participatory methodologies, and interdisciplinary approaches.
It is also essential to strengthen the territorial dimension of its work, promoting an architecture that recognizes the cultural, geographical, and social particularities of each region. Territorial equity must be a guiding principle, ensuring that all people have access to quality public infra- structure. In this regard, the recovery of our heritage faces the challenge of working with more actors, regulations, and the quest to advance in the process of converting buildings for public use. On the other hand, digital transformation and technological advances offer opportunities to innovate the methods of design, planning, and execution of works. To this end, we have gradually integrated technolog- ical tools such as BIM (Building Information Modeling), which improves coordination, reduces costs, optimizes construction times, and facilitates project management throughout the entire cycle. In this scenario, our work must be understood not only as a technical response but also as an expression of democratic, cultural, and social values. Public infrastructure must not only fulfill operational functions, but also create meaning, identity, and quality of life. The Architecture Directorate has recognized the importance of art as an integral part of public spaces. Through the Nemesio Antúnez Commission, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and with more than 200 works, it has promoted the incorporation of works of art in various buildings and public spaces, bringing culture closer to the people and providing access to the creations of national artists. This work has been crucial in enriching the experience of those who interact with public spaces, expanding their sense of belonging and identity. The 150 years of the MOP's Architecture Directorate reflect a shared history between the State and its citizens. Through its works, this tech- nical unit has contributed to building the country, creating spaces that promote interaction, learning, health, culture, and justice. The public buildings that have been erected throughout Chile are part of our tradi- tion and history, reflecting the values of the present and how we project ourselves into the future. Today, more than ever, it is necessary to strengthen its role as a co- ordinator to enable infrastructure to develop public policies, promoting architecture that is sustainable and inclusive. Celebrating its history also means projecting a future that continues to be built, and we have the challenge of ensuring that public architecture continues to be synony- mous with progress, identity, and commitment to the people. !
across its entire expanse. To this end, during the 19th century, the provi- sion of basic services and population settlement in different regions of the country were promoted. Subsequently, it became a priority to exploit raw materials and take advantage of the potential offered by this vast and diverse landscape, located between the sea and the mountains. All of this was done with an explicit interest in projecting a modern and developed image of the country, whereby the State promoted a series of policies and strategies that fostered its advancement and growth in different areas of national interest. In this respect, one of the most emblematic projects of the second half of the 19th century was the state's push to build the railway network, which began as a private investment initiative in 1851 but enjoyed strong public support from the outset through concessions and guarantees. As the railroad expanded towards the south and north, the state took on an increasingly direct role, financing and administering many of the new lines. This stage, which was reinforced in 1884 with the creation of the Ferro- carriles del Estado (FFCC)¹ company to centralize, manage, and expand the national railway network, involved coordinating and strengthening other means of transportation to ensure accessibility to areas that were still isolated from the network (Cortés, 2014) By 1930, Chile already had an extensive and consolidated network connecting valleys and basins through roads with lines and successive branches, establishing in the collective imagination the vertical nature of Chile as a country that is represented continuously and longitudinally (from north to south). The impact of the train's presence in the region was significant, giving rise to and strengthening towns, as well as enabling the transportation of raw materials, food, and passengers. Along with this, it became nec- essary to move forward in installing a series of urban infrastructures to complement the plazas, the churches, and the town halls. This required public strategies to promote transportation and urban development, as well as the development of social policies that would enable and encourage people to travel. A fundamental milestone in this regard was the enactment of the 1931 Labor Code under the government of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo, a pioneering advance in Latin America in terms of labor protection, which established the right to 15 working days of paid vacation for workers². Its implementation took place during a period of economic, political, and social crisis, serving as a turning point in workers' conditions and a paradigm shift in travel and vacations in Chile. There was a shift from the notion of leisure as time off reserved for only a few, almost exclusively an elite privilege, or travel associated with religious pilgrimages (Cortés, 2014), to the understanding of free time as a social right, guaranteed for all strata of society. It was then that the concept of tourism began to gain momentum, as
HERITAGE
Trains, Hotels, and Spas: Infrastructure as a Driver of Tourism Development in Chile
By: Mauricio Sánchez Faúndez + Daniela Serra Anguita
We regularly, and often unintentionally, receive and process information about domestic and international tourist destinations as alternatives for our vacations. This is how the verbs “to travel,” “to enjoy,” and “to visit” become synonymous with the long-awaited annual break, the realization of which involves a series of decisions: from choosing the destination to the means of transportation to get there and the place to stay. This set of actions, which precedes and makes vacations possible, is part of a daily routine that we often take for granted, when in fact it was less than a century ago that the right to vacation was established in our country. Within this context, it was in the first half of the 20th century that insti- tutional and tourism promotion strategies were born, which need to be analyzed based on direct and indirect fiscal policies. In the early decades of the 1800s, the new republic of Chile needed to assert its dominance over its territory and consolidate connections
1 Since 1993, known as EFE. 2 Labor Code. 1931 Decree with Force of Law No. 1. Official Gazette, May 1931.
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