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Social Center And Service Building in a decayed area

Part 2 Project 2003
Gerardo Diaz Mery
Justin Chapman
Central University of Chile | Chile
The project is an attempt at finding a way in which to cope with the spontaneous or informal street market in a low income quarter of Santiago.
Taking the present situation, as a starting point in terms of the specific pattern of commercial activity taking place in the area, the project is not a final solution but a sort of model or tentative approach to establish the spatial organization of an activity strongly rooted in popular chilean culture.
The final aim is, therefore, to integrate this sort of informal economic activity to the physical and formal pattern of the area.
From this point of view, the proposal is versatile and flexible in terms of space and actvity in order to accommodate changing demands along the week.
The building itself is to be a major feature in the public image of the area and will contribute to the process of revitalization of the area in social, cultural and economic aspects.
The programme envisages four main functional areas:

• commercial.services
• social services, including sporting facilities
• open market squares and open space
• parking areas

Finally, the building is to be seen in terms of local identity, something which “belongs” to the people and the place.

Gerardo Diaz Mery
Justin Chapman


From a precise situation, the project tries to discover a way to broach semi-informal and informal retail on a poor neighbourhood of Santiago. The project doesn’t fix the complete problem out, but from a general research of the types of retail in de the Franklin Street, it tries to be a link of the situation, and to be a model of a typical retail of the Chilean popular culture. The mall is exactly the opposite, something that is not necessary. From this reflection starts a creative work that rethinks being conditions to constitute a physical and formal integrated model with the Franklin neighbourhood.

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2003
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