Santiago Architecture City Guide: 41 Buildings, Complexes and Parks to Visit in the Chilean Capital

Founded in 1541 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Valdivia on indigenous settlements in the valley of the Mapocho River, Santiago is the capital and most populated city of Chile. This South American city is enframed by the Andes Mountains to the east and the Chilean Coast Range to the west, in addition to 26 island hills (cerros islas) scattered throughout the city. Some of these island hills have been converted into urban parks, such as Santa Lucía and San Cristóbal, while Chena, Calán, and Renca are in the process of expansion.

The almost three centuries of Spanish domination of what is now known as Chile defined an austere colonial architecture on the grid plan of Santiago: one or two-story houses, adobe walls, tile roofs, and rooms around interior corridors and patios.

After the Chilean independence process that started in 1810—and thanks to the exploitation of saltpeter, copper, and coal during the mid-century— the new republic and its elite promoted a Neoclassical architecture that reflected the economic and cultural transformations that Chile was experiencing. This included the civilizing urban project of Santiago promoted by Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna between 1872 and 1875.

In 1910 the celebrations for the Republic centenary materialized in the construction of large infrastructures and public works that reinforced the image of a triumphant national identity, in stark contrast with "the birth of urban marginality, the housing deficit, and the emergence of the proletariat and bourgeois middle class," as Chilean theoretician Max Aguirre puts it.

Since the inauguration of the Oberpaur building in 1929, the modern movement shaped Chilean architecture in the 20th century. Initially disseminated by young architects in contact with the European and American avant-garde through private commissions, the modern movement in Chile was adopted by a vision of a welfare state, planning, and industrialization process until the 1970s. The military dictatorship between 1973 and 1990 relegated architects to the design of second homes and commercial architecture, highlighting the appearance of Caracoles Comerciales (snail-shaped shopping centers) before the emergence of the mall. The Santiago architecture scene in recent decades focused on the development of large glazed projects of cosmopolitan intent in financial neighborhoods such as Sanhattan and Nueva Las Condes, in addition to the design of public works and spaces for state initiatives such as the Plan Bicentenario (Bicentennial Plan).

In addition to the works and places presented here, we also recommend visiting the Lastarria, Italia, Concha y Toro, Biobío, Yungay, and Nueva Las Condes neighborhoods; the inner gallery network of downtown Santiago; and the public art network of the Santiago Metro, including the mural "Visual Memory of a Nation" by Mario Toral at the Universidad de Chile subway station.

La Moneda / Joaquín Toesca

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Palacio de La Moneda. Image © Ministerio Secretaria General de Gobierno

Quinta Normal Park / Claudio Gay (original), Teodoro Fernández (refurbishment)

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Quinta Normal Park. Image © ​​DFLC Prints

National Fine Arts Museum / Emile Jéquier

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National Fine Arts Museum. Image © BearFotos

Lourdes Basilica / Andrés Garafulic + Eduardo Costabal

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Lourdes Basilica. Image © Nicolás Valencia

Santa Lucía Hill Park / Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna

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Santa Lucía Hill Park. Image © Deensel

Paris Pavilion—Artequín Museum / Henri Picq

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Paris Pavilion—Artequín Museum / Henri Picq. Image © Javiera Barbosa

Supreme Court of Justice Palace + Montt Varas Square / Emilio Doyère, PLAN Arquitectos (Square)

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Supreme Court of Justice Palace + Montt Varas Square . Image © Pablo Blanco

Mapocho Station Cultural Center / Emilio Jecquier (original), Teodoro Fernández + Montserrat Palmer + Rodrigo Pérez de Arce + Ramón López (remodeling)

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Mapocho Station Cultural Center . Image © Pablo Rogat

Pontifical Catholic University of Chile Central Campus / Manuel Cifuentes

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Pontifical Catholic University of Chile Central Campus. Image © Diego Grandi

Sacramentinos Basilica / Ricardo Larraín Bravo

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Sacramentinos Basilica. Image © Deensel

Civic Center + Bulnes Boulevard / Karl Brunner

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La Moneda flanked by the Civic Center. Image © Jose Luis Stephens

Votive Temple of Maipú / Juan Martínez

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Votive Temple of Maipú. Image © María González

Benedictine Monastery Chapel / Gabriel Guarda + Martin Correa

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Benedictine Monastery Chapel Image © María González

Antilén and Tupahue Pools in San Cristóbal Hill / Carlos Martner

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Antilén and Tupahue Pools in San Cristóbal Hill . Image © Deensel

ECLAC-CEPAL Building / Emilio Duhart

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ECLAC-CEPAL Building. Image © María González

Santiago Metropolitan Park

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Santiago Metropolitan Park. Image © carriagada | Shutterstock

Portales Neighborhood Unit / Bresciani Valdés Castillo Huidobro

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Portales Neighborhood Unit. Image © María González

Villa Frei / Jaime Larraín + Osvaldo Larraín + Diego Balmaceda

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Villa Frei. Image © Nicolás Valencia

Caracoles Comerciales (Snail-shaped Shopping Centers)

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Caracoles comerciales. Image © Nicolás Valencia

Adolfo Ibáñez University, Campus Peñalolén / José Cruz Ovalle

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Adolfo Ibáñez University, Campus Peñalolén. Image © Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez

La Moneda Cultural Center (CCLM) and Plaza de la Ciudadanía / Undurraga Devés

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La Moneda Cultural Center (CCLM) and Plaza de la Ciudadanía. Image © Jess Kraft

Mestizo / Smiljan Radic

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Mestizo. Image © Gonzalo Puga

Bicentenario Park / Teodoro Fernández

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Bicentenario Park. Image © RafaelAnRios | Shutterstock

Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center / Cristián Fernández Arquitectos + Lateral arquitectura & diseño

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Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center. Image © Nico Saieh

Cruz del Sur Building / Izquierdo Lehmann

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Cruz del Sur Building. Image © Luis Izquierdo

Museum of Memory and Human Rights / Mario Figueroa + Lucas Fehr + Carlos Dias

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Museum of Memory and Human Rights. Image © Nico Saieh

Children Bicentennial Park / ELEMENTAL

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Children Bicentennial Park. Image © Teresita Pérez | Plataforma Urbana

School of Economics and Business Diego Portales University / Rodrigo Duque Motta + Rafael Hevia + Gabriela Manzi

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School of Economics and Business Diego Portales University. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

Renovation of the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art / Smiljan Radic

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Renovation of the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art. Image © Nico Saieh

Innovation Center UC - Anacleto Angelini / Alejandro Aravena | ELEMENTAL

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Innovation Center UC - Anacleto Angelini. Image © ELEMENTAL | Nina Vidic

Titanium Park / Abraham Senerman 

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Titanium Tower (left) and Titanium Park. Image © Deensel

NAVE / Smiljan Radic

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NAVE. Image © Nico Saieh

Parque de la Familia / Boza Arquitectos

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Parque de la familia. Image © Felipe Díaz Contardo

CorpArtes Theater and Cultural Center / Renzo Zecchetto Architects

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CorpArtes Theater and Cultural Center. Image © Guy Wenborne

Plaza Mirador Pablo Neruda / Carlos Martner + Humberto Eliash + Sebastián Lambiasi + Tomás Westenenk

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Plaza Mirador Pablo Neruda. Image © Deensel

Bahá’í Temple / Hariri Pontarini Architects

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Bahá’í Temple. Image © Daniela Galdames

Museo Taller / Felipe Pommerenke

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Museo Taller. Image © Véronique Huyghe

Palacio Pereira / Cecilia Puga + Paula Velasco + Alberto Moletto

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Palacio Pereira. Image © María González

Plaza de Armas Metro Station Building / Beals Lyon Arquitectos

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Plaza de Armas Metro Station Building. Image © Pablo Casals Aguirre

Espacio del Ángel / Alberto Moletto

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Espacio del Ángel. Image © Espacio del Ángel

School of Business and Economics FAE Building – University of Santiago de Chile / Marsino Arquitectura

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School of Business and Economics FAE Building – University of Santiago de Chile. Image © Pablo Casals Aguirre

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Cite: Valencia, Nicolás. "Santiago Architecture City Guide: 41 Buildings, Complexes and Parks to Visit in the Chilean Capital" [Guía de arquitectura en Santiago de Chile: 41 edificios, complejos y parques de la capital chilena] 23 Nov 2022. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/992337/santiago-architecture-city-41-buildings-complexes-and-parks-to-visit-in-the-chilean-capital> ISSN 0719-8884

Santiago. Image © Deensel

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