Author: Deborah Tadesse

First time in Chile but not my last…

The Santiago trip exceeded my expectations immensely. As my first study abroad trip, I’ve never expected to have such a entertaining time in Chile yet still be a teaching experience. I not only gained an understanding of the Chilean culture, but I also gained insight on architecture from a different continent. I understood the difference and between Chile and Ohio in terms of architecture and I’d admit that Chile is way beyond Ohio in design. Chile has been undertaking these urban ideas that have a SOCIAL PURPOSE and creating a meaningful architecture, which the landscape and climate having a huge role.

The landscapes of Chile incorporated throughout all of Santiago creates an interesting architectural promenade. Every street, every walk you took, you were surrounded by trees that bordered the road or trees/plants and created spaces for outdoor seating areas or provided shade. The heat during the day that hardly reaches 80 degrees with a constant breeze throughout the valley that keeps you cool. I’d say over all the countries I’ve traveled I’ve never experienced such an ideal weather.

One of my goals for this trip was to come back in one piece, since this was my first time traveling on the air without family members. I think I learned a lot about myself.  To be more responsible with my items. How to take care of myself independently, in terms of money. I also learned that maybe Ohio isn’t where I want to study for Graduate school… I was really impressed by the programs offered for architecture, more specifically Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, and they how they don’t label architecture as it is, but into multiple categories of design, philosophy, engineering, etc.

Santiago reminded me of a cleaner New York…. I won’t forget the guy who was selling ice cream on those hot days, screaming “HELADOHELADOHELADO!”. I definitely won’t forget the food, which were mostly meat based, really heavy to digest and was always too much to take in, but never regretful. The people of Chile were patient even with our language barriers, they always tried to understand or communicate even if it was through hand motions.  It felt more like New York when we took the metro bus and artists were performing on the bus. But what Chile has that New York doesn’t is green spaces; hills, trees, multiple parks, mountains in the distance and a whole body of ocean along the country.

I don’t think I can pinpoint a favorite project we visited or restaurant we ate, but I know I had special memories that I hold for ever place. I won’t forget this spring break trip!

¡Adiós Chile!

Day Opener: Eye Opener

My Day Opener as is shows the range of projects we visited starting from La Moneda ending it with the Furnicular.

My last blog in the country is about my first sketch of this trip. I think Day 1 was the busiest day yet the most diverse in terms of the projects we saw. From historical buildings to different transportations to parks, the first day of Chile gave a me a sense of the kind of architecture the city of Santiago focuses on. Chile’s architecture ranges from a traditional colonial aesthetic to contemporary modern architecture as it deals with the variety of landscapes that make up the South American country. I now end this trip finding their focus of sustainability and their use of green space. The green spaces filled the city and the mountains in the view reminded me each day how I was in a whole new place.

 

Night at Pre-Columbian Musuem

The dark stairs contrasts the shining light of the windows and the glass door.

My interest in the Pre-Columbian Museum was the design of the stairs, more specifically its context to the rest of the space. I feel as if the represent what the Knowlton stairs represent which are these obaque objects that make a way through an open space. We get to see that through Knowlton, but in the Pre-Columbian Museum it still makes a presence of these black walls that either takes you up to another dark space or a more brighter space. This concept is also shown as one would progress through a space filled with light into the night.

The panoramic image is what is being sketched above, as you can see the differences on each side in terms of lighting and a hint of the artwork on the second window from the left.

A closer look at what is seen through the window, a gradient of pink and purple.

So this transition is seen through plan and section, but what I noticed about where I was sketching was the placement of the art. In between the pitch black, heavy ramp and the light coming from glass of the windows and door was the colorful sheets of pink and purple that were floating, which was framed by one of the window.

The sculptural black stairs that wrapped with the black rails seen as a sculpture that constrasts from the well-lit room.

As I was sketching this scene, people were passing by and I observed their movement as they first enter the museum. I then understood the ramp as more of a calling into another space. Since the entry into this museum is a well-lit, double height, white walls, door to the outside courtyard that is first seen in front of you, then you turn to the left and then suddenly it’s this dark, black, huge stairs that, for me personally, seen as a part of the museum like a sculpture. Most of the time the person would double look as if they are unsure about what would happen next as they begin to move foreword into the “night”.

The Innovation Center: “Design of the Year”

Innovation Center – Giant openings puncture Elemental’s “monolithic” concrete innovation centre. 

Not only green plants are used to be landscape design, but also stone designs could be a special way to illustrate beauty. I was intrigued by these cement spheres that were situated in front of the Innovation center due to their unique design and diverse purposes. Such as the stone spheres in front of the innovation center in PUC. The stone spheres is emphasizing the shape of circle while the with contrast of formal rectangle shape of innovation center is creating the sense of recreation. So people can feel more entertained. There were three sets of the cement spheres containing roughly thirty various sized spheres in close proximity to each other. The texture of the spheres looked like a mixture of cement and other aggregates. As I was observing how the spheres related to the campus, I noticed they were being used more so as a place for gathering, sitting, and elemental design instead of relating to its context. Multiple people were sitting on the spheres, including our Santiago group, to rest or meet people to go inside the innovation center. The cement spheres acted as its own location marker due to how easily it was to spot and notice them as so the building. 

Deborah’s Pre-Departure Post

¡Hola!

There is about 24 hours until we leave to Chile. I remember the orientation like it was yesterday and now that the day is tomorrow, I should probably start packing…

I am most eager about the warm weather and gathering my summer clothes and flip flops out from the back of my closet. It will be nice to take a break from Columbus’s sad cold weather. I can’t wait to get to see Elemental’s projects, I’ve admired their focus on sustainability which as architects we should try and minimize our impact on the environment! I believe Santiago is one those places that could benefit from sustainability due to it’s resource of sun and vegetation.

With all the sunny days and beautiful landscape that Chile offers, I am looking forward to using my new camera. I’m interested to try and capture the picturesque mountains to the amazing food to the artsy streets of Valparaiso. Since I’ve upgraded my phone, I will have amazing photos to brag to my friends and family! I think there are certain things you can’t capture with a photo but can with a sketch, which I am also excited for. I plan on exploring my drawing skills on this trip with the many pencils, pens, colored pencils I’ve purchased, which I think won’t be hard to do with the Chile’s scenario doing most of the artwork.

¡vamonos a Santiago!