During these days, we visited the various universities around Santiago as well as the Costanera tower (tallest tower in Latin America). At the universities, I had a chance to observe the interactions between the students which turned out to be very similar to the interactions of American students. The layout and the structure of the colleges played an important role in helping enable the social environment. The college had large, spacious courtyards where all the students gathered to hang out between classes. The fresh air and view in which the college was situated in which added to the fresh environment. Studies have proven that having ventilation and sun help improve creativity, thus a prime setting for a university. The landscapes around the building were mainly shrubs or shrub-like looking trees, helping maintain greenery and preventing potential soil erosion. After visiting the university, in the evening we went to the Costanera Tower. We went up to the 62nd floor to watch the sun set behind the Andes mountains. It was absolutely gorgeous. In addition to the gorgeous sunset, the architecture of the top of the tower was also breathtaking. There was no ceiling at the top, so the air surrounding us was fresh, enhancing the experience. All around the top floor, there were hidden drains that would take care of any water that may accumulate with any precipitation.
After the sunset, we explored the rest of the tower which was essentially a shopping mall. We went into the department store which closely resembles a Walmart or a Costco from back home in Ohio. Overall this day was amazing; the views and the similarities I noticed between Chileans and Americans were striking.
Pallavi,
The architecture schools are also one of my favorite part in this trip. I think to some extents the school mirror a country’s attitudes toward education. And architecture pieces in the school some how given the best evidence if the school makes a point of establishing good infrastructure for their students. We visited both private and public schools this time so we can better compare these to types of schools in Chile, and compare those schools, like KSA, in United States. The private school we visited on the hill, University Adolfo Ibanez school, is known as its prominent location on a steep topography and cool architectures. The atmosphere in my point of view is more interactive than KSA mainly because the use of bright colors in campus and the students seem talk more than we do in U.S.
I am also excited to learn that you went to see the sunset in Sky Costanera. I think the Costanera Center is worth going for a visit at the end of the day. We also stopped there for a little bit sketching but unfortunately we didn’t wait to see the sunset. In the picture you showed me the sunset looks just nice! It seems to be a perfect ending for a long-walking day. I bet it is an experience that you will never forget!