A new stage has begun for the Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago de Chile. At the forefront of transport infrastructure, the design of the most important airport investment in the country fell into the hands of luis vidal + architects in association with ADPi. The result is an airport prepared to receive up to 5,000 passengers per hour.

The new international terminal building is equipped with a modern control access and four piers. These act as a border between the landside and the airside. The retail, food and beverage areas are evenly distributed throughout them.

The design not only improves the visibility of the stores, by making the flow of travellers pass in front of them, but it also doubles the retail space, reaching 193,750 square feet. The VIP lounges of the airlines are strategically distributed along the halls so that the distance to the boarding gates is not excessive for this type of traveller.

Between the new control and the current Terminal 1 building, there are two covered parking lots with a capacity for more than 3,000 parking spaces. The roof of both parking lots is used as a large, raised welcome square, where the landscaping is the main protagonist.

A variety of sources inspire color design in this country, always at the service of the user: the landscapes, geography, flora and fauna of Chile, as well as the rich craftsmanship of its native people.

When architecture acts on historical buildings, it becomes responsible for the memory and identity of the place in which it is intervening.

luis vidal + architects has completely refurbished a 19th-century building located in the center of Santiago de Chile, carefully restoring and recovering it piece by piece. At the same time, its proposal included the design and construction of a new building within the existing plot (the General Healthcare Clinic – CESFAM), which aimed to establish a dialogue with the heritage building (a community center now), combining tradition and modernity.

The heart of the project lies in the dialogue between the two buildings that make up the Matta Sur Complex, the old one and the new one, through a homogeneous architectural language based on rhythm, materiality and spatiality. The design of the new building is respectful and discreet to enhance the original building. As a result of this dialogue, a new public space, the plaza, arises as a connecting element between the two centers.

The Matta Sur complex has a program that came out from neighbors’ surveys and is the answer to the challenge of the cities of the future and to what today’s societies need most urgently: more public spaces where neighbors can co-exist, share, be connected, and foster a sense of community. A project that, having been nominated and won on over ten occasions since its opening, keeps getting the attention of media and users worldwide.

The construction of the new Cauquenes Hospital is part of a network of three health infrastructures of medium complexity, which will all serve the area of influence of the Cauquenes, Constitución and Parral provinces. They will work under the jurisdiction of the Maule Health Service within the homonymous region. The new Cauquenes hospital will serve 60,000 people in roughly 439,156 square feet, with 136 beds, three operating rooms, 25 consultation rooms, an emergency service, diagnostic and therapeutic support services, and administrative and industrial support areas.

The building is developed from North to South, following a “double comb-shape” typology that takes advantage of the existing slope of the plot. The primary access and public circulations are located alongside the East axis (on the upper level), while the internal circulations are to the West (on the lower level). All other units are located across this axis, with ER to the North and General Services and supplies to the South. The segregation of these circulations results in functional, operational and energetic efficiency.

A series of active and passive measures have also been implemented to guarantee energy efficiency: sun breakers, Low-E glass, solar panels and native vegetation with low water consumption, among others. In addition, given the high risk of seismic activity in the country, seismic isolators have been incorporated to ensure the regular operation of the hospital in the event of a catastrophe.

The Cauquenes Hospital goes a step further, creating public spaces for citizens and using color to integrate the building into the city as a landmark. Cauquenes is known for its wine cultivation and pottery tradition, so red and ochre tones have been chosen to distinguish the proposal, acting as a catalyst for the improvement of the municipality’s urban, economic and social life.

The Constitución Hospital will serve 57,573 people from the Constitución and Empedrado communities, with an estimated area of 403,797 square feet. It will have the capacity for 111 beds, three pavilions, 22 consultation rooms, emergency care services, diagnostic and therapeutic support, and administrative and industrial support services to meet the demand for healthcare in the area.

According to the current community regulatory plan, the new Constitución Hospital is located on Río Maule Street and next to the Copihue Village. The site has an area of 788,000 square feet, adjoining to the north with Calle Prieto, Arnoldo Opazo and Forestal Arauco S.A. To the south with other property owners and Villa Verde One. To the east with a free plot and to the west with Maule Street.

The site is located at 129 meters above sea level. Concerning the topography, it is a vast plot, characterized by irregular topographic conditions, with a notable downward slope from Rio Maule Street to Prieto Street. Significant ravines are observed at the bottom of the site, which follow the natural condition of the terrain, with height differences of approximately 20 m. The portion of land parallel to Rio Maule Street has the most favorable topographic condition compared to the rest of the site.

Taking advantage of these conditions, the building is developed from North to South, organizing itself as a spine, integrating concepts of functional, operational and energy efficiency.

The Parral Hospital will serve 58,392 people from the Parral and Retiro communities, with an estimated area of 422,515 square feet. It will have the capacity for 121 beds, three pavilions, 22 consultation rooms, emergency care services, diagnostic and therapeutic support, and administrative and industrial support services to meet the demand for healthcare in the area.

The new Parral Hospital will be located on Route L-84, Camino a Catillo Nº 420, Commune of Parral, Maule Region. It corresponds to the Urban Expansion Zone ZE-2, according to the Community Regulatory Plan, in force since 1990, and allows the construction of health establishments.

The site has an area of 581,790 square feet, bordering to the Northeast with Villa Pilar Dos, Calle Dos and Camino Publico a Catillo. To the Southeast, with land owned by Graciela Concha Benavente. To the Southwest, with two plots, one owned by Sociedad Fuente Concha Limitada and the other by Graciela Concha Benavente. To the Northwest, with Calle Doctor Mario Mujica and Villa Pilar Dos.

The land is located 939 meters above sea level. Concerning the topography, it has a predominantly flat morphology and without noticeable differences in level.

Taking advantage of these conditions, the building is developed from North to South, organizing itself as a spine, integrating concepts of functional, operational and energy efficiency.

This project involves developing the landscaping and architectural design of the Chagual Botanical Garden, located in the Metropolitan Park of Santiago. Expanding across more than 700 hectares of land, it is the fourth largest urban park in the world, and it is located near the city center, on the banks of the Mapocho River.

The landscaping design covers approximately 45 hectares of the total area of the gardens. It incorporates a combination of plants that builds native landscapes using Mediterranean species from four parts of the world. Its mission is to promote the development of a culture of nature that values the natural heritage of central Chile and to display its species and ecosystems, thus promoting their study and disseminating their importance, incentivizing conservation and cultivation.

The scope of the architectural tender includes the design of the main buildings within the Botanical Garden, consisting of 51,650 square feet of constructed area in two separate phases.

The developed proposal looks for a way to structure the entire experience, defining a path to wander and position oneself on the hillside so that the visitor can visualize and understand a complete story that integrates botanical contents and the geographical characteristics of the area, as well as its relationship with the city and the Mapuche cosmogony.

The main buildings have been strategically located to create an accessible route through the garden and a natural flow to the places of interest. How the buildings are laid out helps generate different instances along the journey, such as the direct relationship with the land, the appreciation of the landscape from above, the immersion in the vegetation and the creation of rest areas.