The project ” designed in co-authorship by , became the winner of the , a space with the highest standard for the city of Viña del Mar, which will be transformed into a multifunctional green area. Of the 14 proposals that participated, four were selected by the jury of the competition to advance to the final phase in which the project led by , which will design the central area of the future Barrio Las Salinas, was chosen. A project that aims to become an important work of integration; an open space, for public use and accessible to all, a place for social, cultural, sports and educational gatherings. is a renowned architectural firm that, among other works, built Las Tacas and Cantagua and has projects in the United States, Spain, Peru and Argentina. Their project in Las Salinas proposes a walkway that will cross the entire site from the waterfront, crossing Avenida Jorge Montt. It includes a large green esplanade and artificial wetlands, a lookout point, water jets, and panels for all kinds of activities. The proposal also incorporates a parking area below ground level and the construction of an open-air cultural center. Juan Grimm, architect and landscape architect, and President of the PULS competition jury, describes the project. The jury based its decision on the fact that the project stands out for having an identity of place, breaking with the regional paradigm of the hill-sea disconnection, opening up to the logic of an urban and inclusive project, and being an opportunity for the city of Viña del Mar. Regarding the technical-economic proposal, the design manages to propose a model of Urban Park that generates in a stable way a system of income greater than its outflows, a condition understood as the “economic balance” required in the competition rules. “The winner of the competition, Ignacio Hernandez, architect and President of Archiplan, said. The 1.8 hectare Central Urban Park is part of the system of parks that Barrio Las Salinas proposes as a public space, which also includes the future Ladera Sur Park and the Parque Lineal, which together represent 4.6 hectares of the 16 hectares of the site, explained Luis Álvarez, Master in Urban Planning, Geographer and PUCV academic, PULS competition jury member. The PULS competition encompassed ideas of sustainability, operation, territorial integration, connection; a democratic space of exchange and efficient operation, which is at the heart of a strategy of territorial integration and socioeconomic integration, establishing, in addition, a biological connection with the wild environments of the region, thanks to the use of native flora, to generate mobility of all types of organisms, allowing the regeneration of the native ecosystem, becoming a strategy to better cope with the effects of climate change. For this reason, the participating teams had to include professionals from different areas: architects, landscape architects, biologists, water infiltration specialists, structural engineers, etc. Multidisciplinary teams to technically support the design proposal. Second place in the competition went to the offices and their project. The third place went to the offices project, and . The office and its project received an honorable mention, said Lucía Ríos, Director of the Las Salinas Urban Park Competition and Executive Secretary of the .
said Esteban Undurraga, Development Manager of Inmobiliaria Las Salinas. The jury that decided between the 4 finalist proposals was made up of experts from different areas such as urban planning, architecture, landscaping, education, culture, etc., all of them widely recognized locally and nationally. The proposal is based on the principle of “Urban Biological Corridors”, which mitigate the fragmentation of the landscape, which causes loss of species and reduces its interconnectivity due to the accelerated urban expansion; and intertwines the landscape and socio-cultural values of the central Chilean coastal ecosystem. This principle is expressed through a strategy of “Interconnected Biodiverse Nodes” that form “Communities of Biological Patches”, arranged with native and feral flora and strategically located within an urban layout, which allows restoring the ecological functions of the landscape. The criteria that generate the proposal are expressed in four design interventions that bring together various interconnected biological and urban interactions: Accompanied by wetlands and various native species with high tolerance to water stress, a product of the effects of climate change, such as decreased rainfall, high radiation and wind typical of the coastal sector. The planting of nurse shrub species such as Colliguay, whose shade will give way to species such as Quilo, Tabaco del Diablo, Romerillo and Huañil. Among the tree species, we consider planting Quillay, Litre, Peumo, Molle, Madroño and Boldo, typical of the ecosystem in which the Las Salinas neighborhood is located. The wetlands start in the southeast corner of the park, in the axis of the natural creek of the Santa Inés neighborhood hill, whose route through terraced pools ends in the central wetland of the project. The vegetation of the park changes in terms of species, dimensions and morphology, according to its location on the west-east axis, that is, from hill to coastal edge. A space that joins the hill of the Santa Inés neighborhood with the coastal edge of Las Salinas beach and integrates with other urban landmarks or landmarks recognizable by the locals, such as the Flower Clock, the Casino, the Avenida Perú́ promenade, the Vergara Pier, the Sundial, Los Cañones and the Amphitheater on the Deporte beach. This pedestrian walkway is an instance for , which structures the surfaces of the Botanical Garden Park by defining a third of land on the south side for those that accompany the course of the natural creek and give shade, protection and shelter to the two thirds of land on the north side with the esplanade of grass and covers walkable floors, mainly. . A paved space that becomes a flexible space as a multipurpose area for citizen entrepreneurship fairs, city shows and a place to practice outdoor sports, such as skateboarding or rollerblading. This concave plate (slightly sunken) is prepared to mitigate natural phenomena such as storm surges. The possibility of humidifying this place will give it a refreshing and playful identity, enhanced in the evenings, when the . An esplanade of lawn and walkable ground covers, as an instance for and that is transformed into that of the Fair Center. It is an urban gesture that gives value to the views of the sea and the bay of Valparaíso.
In addition, it will host a variety of outdoor human activities, such as picnic areas, ball games, etc. The glazed front of the Exhibition Center will be a flexible space that accommodates multiple uses such as manufacturing laboratories, workshops and entrepreneurship halls. The portal formed by the pergola and the paving slab, on the side of the Fair Center, will be a gateway that will enhance the views of the site and host various cultural and commercial expressions, such as fairs, exhibitions, dancing and other open-air city shows. To promote biodiversity, the lighting will avoid polluting the night skies, i.e., not directing the light upwards. In addition, this strategy will allow for more efficient use of energy consumption. The proposal for durable materials in key areas of the park will incorporate hard concrete pavements that are resistant to seawater and saline environments. Additionally, the use of light shades of gray to white is considered as a design strategy to mitigate the effect of the cities by reflecting the greatest amount of radiation. Aimed at universal accessibility, the pavements contemplate floors with slopes of no more than 3%, cakes to assist people with partial or total blindness, and finishes that guarantee safe walking within the current regulations. The bridge rests on the natural terrain as a bridge, with punctual supports in its central axis, which allows to maintain the interconnectedness of the different areas. In terms of infrastructure, the Park’s equipment works will develop parking lots in a subway parking garage and a Fair Center. Finally, laminated wood shades are proposed. The idea is to make the least structural intervention to give way to the largest plant surface. For this reason, the roof of the Fair Center is used as a green esplanade and random seating. is a renowned architectural firm that, among other works, built Las Tacas and Cantagua and has projects in the United States, Spain, Peru and Argentina. They also designed a luxury mega-resort in Abu Dhabi – commissioned by the sheikh of that nation – opening the door for them in Dubai and Qatar. In Chile they have carried out several master plans and designed large urban developments in different cities of the country. They have also won awards in other architectural competitions, such as the first prize in the international competition for the design of the Kim Tschang-Yeul Museum of Contemporary Art in South Korea. is an architecture and territory studio focused on the sustainable development of rural areas. Their main objective is to provide efficient and attractive answers through a sustainable architecture connected with its environment and the user. As main work and analysis tool they use freehand drawing and sketches, supported by territorial analysis software, which sustain the creation of unique projects. All our territorial scale projects consider an analysis of the place based on observation and experience. They have developed much of their experience in southern Chile, where they have experimented with straw bales, clay plaster, green roofs, winter patios and intermediate spaces that allow the enjoyment of housing in any season and climate.
is a studio involved in architecture, art and design projects, which defines itself as a continuous process of research and experimentation in digital elaboration, promoting new encounters between technologies to project and the richness of the local expressed in traditional materials and techniques. Their work methodology has two dimensions: systematizing knowledge and observation, whether of natural, artificial, geometric or spatial phenomena; and the incorporation of the artistic dimension to connect with cultural heritage. They have presented their products in Milan, Miami and New York.
