PLANTING SEEDS | BUILDING BLOCKS
Adaptive Reuse | Santiago, Chile | Fall 2023
In 2019, a series of massive demonstrations and severe riots originated from Santiago and spread across all other regions of Chile. Occurred for 6 months, the protests were in response to a raise in the Santiago Metro’s subway fare, a probity crisis,cost of living, university graduate unemployment, privatization, and inequality prevalent in the country. After the 2019, many buildings and infrastructure were ruined and destroyed. The project is about re-imagining one of the most iconic buildings in Santiago that became vacant due the 2019 Social Unrest. With adaptive reuse, the project aims to revitalize the neighborhood by changing its function and program into an art school for children and youths. By investing in the young minds of the future, the infrastructure becomes a new icon, a building block that inspires new regeneration projects in the city of Santiago.