Breve biografía.
El 31 de enero de 1928 nace en Santiago de Chile Gustavo Correa Prieto, quien luego de estudiar en el Liceo Alemán y en los Padres Franceses ingresa a la Facultad de Arquitectura de la Universidad Católica de Chile en1964, cuyos cursos se impartían en el cuarto piso del edificio central en la Alameda, para posteriormente terminar los talleres en dos antiguas casonas que la universidad arrendaba en la calle Villavicencio del Barrio Lastarria. Egresa en 1952 y al año siguiente, antes de desarrollar su proyecto de título, con el nombre de Martín entra al Monasterio Benedictino, instalado en 1939 en lo que entonces era un sector rural sobre la Avenida Las Condes. Desde 1956 el Hermano Martín vive su estado monacal en la actual Abadía, inaugurada ese año en el cerro Los Piques, en la zona oriente de Santiago a los pies de la precordillera de los Andes. El año 2001 el Colegio de Arquitectos de Chile le confiere el título de Miembro Honorario, distinción que se otorga a quien no siendo arquitecto merece pertenecer al gremio por su labor a favor de la arquitectura.
Brief biography
Born in Santiago de Chile on January 31 of 1928, Gustavo Correa Prieto studied at the German High School and at the Sacred Heart. He joined the Faculty of Architecture of the Catholic University of Chile in 1964, with courses taught in the fourth floor of the main building in Alameda, and later completed the final workshops in two old houses the university rented on Villavicencio street in the Lastarria neighborhood. He graduated in 1952 and the following year, before completing his degree project, he took the name Martín and joined the Benedictine Monastery, located since 1939 in what was then a rural sector on Avenida Las Condes. Since 1956 Brother Martín has lived his monastic state in the current Abbey, which opened that year in Los Piques hill on the east side of Santiago, at the foothills of the Andes. In 2001 the Colegio de Arquitectos de Chile bestowed upon him the title of Honorary Member, a distinction awarded to non-architects who deserve to be members of the guild for their work on behalf of architecture.
The new monastery on Los Piques hill How did the Benedictines come to the Los Piques hill? How was the project of Jaime Bellalta and the Institute of Architecture of the Catholic University of Valparaiso born, and the process that finally materialized with the construction of the cell unit and the chapel and refectory as temporary buildings? What was the participation of Brother Martín, a novice at the time? - The first convent was located where the Air Force hospital is today, at that time a rural place since public trams only reached Tobalaba. Architect Juan Lyon designed the building in 1939. The soul of the foundation had been Father Pedro Subercaseaux, who in 1920 had entered the Quarr Abbey in England. After some years he managed to bring to Chile a French foundation from the Congregation of Solesmes in 1938, and when this group of monks returned to France for the war, he brought another group from the German Abbey of Beuron in 1948. When I joined, on September 8 of 1953 at age 25, the community of 12 monks realized that the place - originally far removed - was being surrounding by houses. The establishment of a stadium in the adjacent plot gave the final push. Being a novice, with other members of the community we hiked towards the Andean foothills and passed a small hill a few kilometers away. I soon learned we would be moving to that place. Suddenly many events took over, which was extraordinary for me: the place where we lived was sold to the Air Force and the site at Los Piques hill, plus some level acres, was purchased. Four offices were invited to a private competition for the project of the new monastery, which took place between late 1953 and 1954. The offices were those of Sergio Larraín García Moreno and Emilio Duhart; Hernán Riesco and Jorge Larraín; Jaime Bellalta from the Institute of Architecture of Valparaiso associated with León Rodríguez, Octavio Sotomayor and Fernando Mena; Juan Lyon and Juan Echeñique and architect Paul Linden from Peru. The technical advisor of the competition was architect Hernán Monckeberg. The projects were hung in what was then the painting workshop of father Pedro that had a double height. We were forbidden to see the projects or comment on them, but my interest was too big and I briefly sneaked in, long enough to form an opinion. One look was sufficient to realize the superiority of the project by Bellalta and partners. Despite having a less finished presentation in formal aspects, the conceptual and plastic proposition had a much more accomplished result, in addition to being an avant-garde architectural proposal. You could tell he had studied Benedictine spirituality and discussed in depth with the local monks. However, I felt that the community was tilting towards the more traditional projects, more along the lines of European monasteries.
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