A. LUKSIC A. MINING CENTER

It was decided to do a Mining Centre for the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad Católica in its San Joaquin Campus. The site is on Vicuña Mackenna Avenue, where the elevated Metro passes. The assignment contemplated a volume of six floors which included classrooms, professor’s offices, auditoriums and a mining museum. We designed a type of “constructed rock”. However, this solution seemed insignificant beside the size of the avenue, the Metro and the nearby high-rises. We thus proposed another alternative: a “fissure” that housed the programs and ended in a small hill that contained the museum and the larger auditoriums. The proposal was welcomed because it increased the green areas and gave a good image towards the Avenue. Furthermore, it was estimated that it would save 25% of energy. But this alternative was objected by the contributors since no “building” as such would exist that proved their donations. We thus offered a third alternative that maintained the “fissure”, but replaced the end-hill by a large building with tall columns. This solution was approved. The “fissure” is connected to the different pedestrian circulation systems of the Faculty, meanwhile the long building outlines different exterior patios, offering diverse and attractive facades.