Alonso de Córdova offices Vitacura, Santiago de Chile

Integrating public space

This project can be found at the junction of two major avenues in Vitacura and is based on the goal of connecting with its immediate surroundings in a friendly manner. With this premise in mind, the building has been designed to provide high permeability via a public passageway that crosses it and with pedestrian access to three streets. The public space has therefore been integrated into its interior and the neighbourhood life typifying the commune has been enhanced.

A generous setback has also been created on the main façade of the building that allows the public space to be extended towards the interior. A new porch has thus been designed for people to meet, thereby creating a new urban icon. The light-well courtyards form the perimeter of the building, allowing natural lighting and ventilation of underground levels.

The façade comprises a curtain wall with modulated quartering to give it an urban scale, a requisite of its view from a distance. A break in its upper corner floors creates a friendly gesture with views of the prominent, nearby Cerro Manquehue, a landmark of great civic and landscape importance in the commune.

In conclusion, the project achieves this desired connection with the surroundings thanks to the integration of public space, resulting in a building that is as friendly as it is functional.