North Almagro Campus Building / Marsino Arquitectos Asociados

Architects: Marsino Arquitectos Asociados – Jorge Marsino P., María Inés Buzzoni G.
Location: Santiago, Chile
Design Team: Claudio Santander, Beatriz Marin, Rodrigo Martinez, Daniel Iraguen, Andrés Cea, Alejandro Eliash
Completion: 2009
Site Surface: 8,827.48 sqm
Floor Plan Area: 32,406.25 sqm
Client: Universidad Central de Chile
Photographs: Aryeh Kornfeld

The Project for the Universidad Central de Chile new Building originates as a result of a Master Plan developed in our studio. The aim was to establish its stance and presence in front of the Almagro Park and to solve the growing needs of space for its different schools.

A building is proposed considering,, on one hand, the requirements for classrooms and offices with a centrally managed Lecture Room building, first of its kind in the University, and on the other hand, the integration of two existing buildings in the new whole, both Law and Business Schools, which strongly reflects 90’s architecture image.

In view of this, it is decided to propose two new buildings, one for classrooms and other for offices, which efficiently cover the specific requirements for the housed activities –MEP systems, circulations, etc. It is decided as well to create a new roof to link and to join the whole lot, altering the existing buildings last floors and using them for classrooms.

The great roof covers at the same time a system of new patios and spaces between buildings, in order to connect a complex with the ability to accommodate an occupation peak of 4,000 students, giving shape to a new volume able to tackle the urban scale of the Almagro Park.