Contenido

El edificio de la Cepal es una de las obras modernas más relevantes de la arquitectura moderna chilena y por ello ha sido reconocida también internacionalmente como una obra paradigmática de las renovaciones formales y espaciales que se produjeron en la disciplina arquitectónica con la modernidad. El edificio originalmente llamado de las Naciones Unidas en Santiago de Chile, fue producto de un concurso nacional que se adjudicó el arquitecto Emilio Duhart en 1961, con la colaboración de los arquitectos Roberto Goycoolea, Christian de Groote y Oscar Santaelices.[5]​ La construcción se llevó a cabo entre 1963 y 1966, cuando se inauguró con la presencia del presidente de la República de la época Eduardo Frei Montalva, como autoridades de Naciones Unidas, incluyendo al Secretario General U Thant.

La idea inicial de las Naciones Unidas de utilizar la arquitectura como obra representativa y significativa de los objetivos de la institucionalidad, ya habían sido recogidos en los edificios de Nueva York (1952) de Wallace K. Harrison -basado en las ideas de Le Corbusier y el comité asesor- y en la sede de París (1958) de Breuer, Nervi y Zehrfuss. Por ello la vocación simbólica y monumental que debía representar el edificio, era tanto para la institución como para Duhart, una base evidente para resolver el encargo.[6]​.

Así fue congruente la creación de un volumen neutral, cuadrado de 95.66mts de largo por lado, que se ubicó en la periferia de la ciudad, solo urbanizada para darle espacio a lo que sería el “Parque de las Américas”, que se constituiría como la continuidad de zonas verdes a lo largo del río Mapocho.

La estrategia fue realizar un volumen suspendido, a partir de pilares -cuatro por lado- que sostienen una viga desde la cual se colgó la losa del segundo nivel. Así suspender y al mismo tiempo colgar, fueron las acciones fundamentales del conocido anillo, que en su interior dejaba un patio. Por un lado, los pilares piramidales, sostenían la viga principal y la serie de vigas perpendiculares a ella, que arman la trama de elementos estructurales, que se encuentran precisamente en las esquinas donde se convergen ambas direcciones del sistema. Por otro lado, se libera el primer nivel, articulando el encuentro natural con el río Mapocho a través de elementos a modo de taludes -en hormigón con bolones a la vista- que salvan y recogen distintos niveles, como espacios de servicios. Finalmente, al interior del anillo se desarrollaron dos volúmenes fundamentales: el núcleo central "Núcleo (arquitectura)") de circulaciones verticales y el caracol donde se ubica la sala de la Asamblea General.[7]​.

Central buildings

From the outside you can see a square ring (100 x 100 meters),[8]​ that contains the offices where the different ECLAC organizations operate, along with corridors or pedestrian bridges that connect with the central patio. This patio concentrates the circular conference and debate rooms, as well as other common spaces such as casinos or restaurants.[9]​.

Bas-reliefs in the Caracol

Around the structure that houses the two main conference rooms (the "caracol"), Duhart conceived an external staircase that culminates at its top in the Mirador de los Andes. Along this architectural walk, inscribed as bas-reliefs on the concrete wall, there are a series of icons that symbolize, from different perspectives, the historical development of Latin America and the Caribbean, from its ancient origins to the date of the building's inauguration (1966).

The first of the forty-eight bas-reliefs of the Caracol corresponds to an image of the Fell cavern. The design corresponds to figures found in that place, located in Patagonian territory. They are presumed to be the oldest traces found on the American continent. The following figures illustrate different aspects of the life of pre-Columbian peoples, from the nomads to the Inca, Mayan and Aztec cultures. At the point where the Caracol connects with the main building there is a representation of the three caravels of Christopher Columbus, which mark the beginning of a new era, characterized by the clash of cultures, the mixing of races and the definitive meeting of two worlds.

The next stage describes the subsequent history of the continent, characterized by urban, political and cultural development, historical and social milestones, such as independence movements and migratory flows, the emergence of new technologies, such as electricity, railways, modern agriculture.

The series culminates with a set of images alluding to the great political and social themes of the century, such as education, suffrage and planning. The last image represents, in the form of an ascending curve and a large indigenous figure, the demographic explosion.

The Hernán Santa Cruz library of ECLAC was inaugurated in 1948, in order to support the research and analysis work of the economy and society of Latin America and the Caribbean.

During 2008 the library was named after Hernán Santa Cruz, a lawyer who proposed the creation of the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) proposed in June 1947, and that during that year the sixtieth anniversary of ECLA and the signing of the declaration of human rights was celebrated.

Currently the library has a collection that exceeds 100,000 physical volumes, including books, magazines, photographs, copies of official documents, among others. The library has collections oriented to social science disciplines, such as international trade, economics, social development, sustainable development, planning, gender studies, natural resources, infrastructure, among others.[14]​.

The architect Emilio Duhart is considered by the historiography of modern architecture at an international level as a key actor of the second half of the century in Chile, and the ECLAC building is the work that received the most attention from specialized critics.[15] Early on, the historian Henry Russell Hitchcock highlighted Duhart's activity within the framework of the exhibition, and the catalog that accompanied it, on modern architecture in Latin America organized at the New York Museum of Art the year 1955.[16]​.

One of the first international references to the project of the United Nations building for Santiago de Chile is found in the book by Paul F. Damaz published in 1963 - the same year that construction work began - in the United States by Reinhold.[17] Damaz's publication Art in Latin American Architecture (1963) reviews the relationships between art and architecture in Latin America from pre-Columbian cultures to modern architecture, and analyzes the collaboration between artists and architects of its time to evaluate the different solutions integration of the arts. The United Nations building was published in relation to the collaboration between the architect and the plastic artist Mario Carreño who proposed the sculpture of the Tree of Nations located in the reflecting pool in front of the main entrance to the building, as well as the design of a mosaic wall behind the complex. Neither of the two proposals was built.

In 1966, the Chilean magazine AUCA dedicated a very extensive report to the building which included an interview with Duhart (“Critical Dialogue”), planimetry of the building and photographs of the construction. At an international level, the prestigious French magazine l'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui") published the project in number 137 (1967/1968) dedicated to public buildings, along with works by Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier or Jean Prouvé among others. The inclusion of the project in said number recognized the importance of the building at an international level. Likewise, the building was published in number 17 (1968) of the also French magazine Architecture de Lumiére.

In 1969, the Argentine architect Francisco Bullrich mentioned the building in his publications New Paths of Latin American Architecture[18]​ and Arquitectura Latinoamericana 1930/1970.[19]​ The same year, the Spanish historian exiled in Chile Leopoldo Castedo, published A History of Latin American Art and Architecture. From Pre-Columbian Times to the Present,[20] which appeared the following year, 1970, in Spanish.

The ECLAC building has been recognized since its origins as an emblematic work of Latin American architectural production, representative of the architecture of the Modern Movement in Chile.

The building designed by Duhart alludes to traditional forms such as the colonial rural house or the dimensions of the regular block of the founding center (95x95 m)[6]​.

The building, an architectural and historical landmark, was conceived by the architect as a monument from its conception, as confirmed by an excerpt from the document presenting the preliminary project to the competition jury: "The United Nations building is proposed as a house and as a monument. The house of nations in community. The monument is a visible expression of its spiritual and social desire. House and Monument emerge as a plastic and functional Unit, legible for all. Monument for the Nations, Monument for its meeting point, Chile”.[7]​.

The building has been included on the watch list of the International Committee for the Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of the Modern Movement (DOCOMOMO). The committee, since the 1980s, has sought to protect the architectural heritage of the modern movement. In the Eindhoven declaration (1990-2014), the fundamental principles that determine the importance of the Modern Movement are established, promoting the identification, registration, conservation and reuse of buildings and sites of the Modern Movement. Opposing the destruction and transformation of this heritage. The United Nations building has been listed as a relevant example of modern architectural heritage, due to its innovative design concepts, structural model and construction techniques.[21]​.

In 2015, the building was included in the exhibition Latin America in Construction: Architecture 1955 – 1980, at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York dedicated to modern Latin American architecture. The exhibition exhibited more than 500 works with photographs, drawings, plans and videos of representative buildings of modernism in the region, among which was a large model of the main headquarters of ECLAC.[22]​.

Likewise, the project can be highlighted as a contribution to the urban and landscape heritage of Santiago by incorporating the geographical values ​​of the city. Its construction coincides with the proposal of the first Intercommunal Regulatory Plan of Santiago in 1960 by architect Juan Parrochia.[23] Duhart had developed proposals on the future of the city through the Greater Santiago Seminar (1957). In this way, the building can be understood as the architect's vision for the development of the city and the planning of green areas. Strategically located with the Andes Mountains in the background, on the southern bank of the Mapocho River, and at the end of a park, in an area that served as a land reserve for the green area where the Bicentennial Park is currently located.

The ECLAC building has been open to the public for the Cultural Heritage Day of Chile "Cultural Heritage Day (Chile)") (DPC) in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2017. Due to the 2010 earthquake, the structure suffered some minor damage, so the building was subjected to a series of renovations seeking to modernize its spaces and recover in some areas the original design of its creators. Among them is the renovation of the fourth floor that includes a new conference room. Between 2000-2008, several master plan works were carried out, among which the recovery of large open spaces on the north and south sides of the property, where the Carmelo Soria civic plaza, used for open-air ceremonies, is located. Meeting rooms and a reception building were also built for the visiting public, structures that also show Duhart's original concept.[24]​.

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on ECLAC Building.

• - Official website of ECLAC.

Contenido

El edificio de la Cepal es una de las obras modernas más relevantes de la arquitectura moderna chilena y por ello ha sido reconocida también internacionalmente como una obra paradigmática de las renovaciones formales y espaciales que se produjeron en la disciplina arquitectónica con la modernidad. El edificio originalmente llamado de las Naciones Unidas en Santiago de Chile, fue producto de un concurso nacional que se adjudicó el arquitecto Emilio Duhart en 1961, con la colaboración de los arquitectos Roberto Goycoolea, Christian de Groote y Oscar Santaelices.[5]​ La construcción se llevó a cabo entre 1963 y 1966, cuando se inauguró con la presencia del presidente de la República de la época Eduardo Frei Montalva, como autoridades de Naciones Unidas, incluyendo al Secretario General U Thant.

La idea inicial de las Naciones Unidas de utilizar la arquitectura como obra representativa y significativa de los objetivos de la institucionalidad, ya habían sido recogidos en los edificios de Nueva York (1952) de Wallace K. Harrison -basado en las ideas de Le Corbusier y el comité asesor- y en la sede de París (1958) de Breuer, Nervi y Zehrfuss. Por ello la vocación simbólica y monumental que debía representar el edificio, era tanto para la institución como para Duhart, una base evidente para resolver el encargo.[6]​.

Así fue congruente la creación de un volumen neutral, cuadrado de 95.66mts de largo por lado, que se ubicó en la periferia de la ciudad, solo urbanizada para darle espacio a lo que sería el “Parque de las Américas”, que se constituiría como la continuidad de zonas verdes a lo largo del río Mapocho.

La estrategia fue realizar un volumen suspendido, a partir de pilares -cuatro por lado- que sostienen una viga desde la cual se colgó la losa del segundo nivel. Así suspender y al mismo tiempo colgar, fueron las acciones fundamentales del conocido anillo, que en su interior dejaba un patio. Por un lado, los pilares piramidales, sostenían la viga principal y la serie de vigas perpendiculares a ella, que arman la trama de elementos estructurales, que se encuentran precisamente en las esquinas donde se convergen ambas direcciones del sistema. Por otro lado, se libera el primer nivel, articulando el encuentro natural con el río Mapocho a través de elementos a modo de taludes -en hormigón con bolones a la vista- que salvan y recogen distintos niveles, como espacios de servicios. Finalmente, al interior del anillo se desarrollaron dos volúmenes fundamentales: el núcleo central "Núcleo (arquitectura)") de circulaciones verticales y el caracol donde se ubica la sala de la Asamblea General.[7]​.

Central buildings

From the outside you can see a square ring (100 x 100 meters),[8]​ that contains the offices where the different ECLAC organizations operate, along with corridors or pedestrian bridges that connect with the central patio. This patio concentrates the circular conference and debate rooms, as well as other common spaces such as casinos or restaurants.[9]​.

Bas-reliefs in the Caracol

Around the structure that houses the two main conference rooms (the "caracol"), Duhart conceived an external staircase that culminates at its top in the Mirador de los Andes. Along this architectural walk, inscribed as bas-reliefs on the concrete wall, there are a series of icons that symbolize, from different perspectives, the historical development of Latin America and the Caribbean, from its ancient origins to the date of the building's inauguration (1966).

The first of the forty-eight bas-reliefs of the Caracol corresponds to an image of the Fell cavern. The design corresponds to figures found in that place, located in Patagonian territory. They are presumed to be the oldest traces found on the American continent. The following figures illustrate different aspects of the life of pre-Columbian peoples, from the nomads to the Inca, Mayan and Aztec cultures. At the point where the Caracol connects with the main building there is a representation of the three caravels of Christopher Columbus, which mark the beginning of a new era, characterized by the clash of cultures, the mixing of races and the definitive meeting of two worlds.

The next stage describes the subsequent history of the continent, characterized by urban, political and cultural development, historical and social milestones, such as independence movements and migratory flows, the emergence of new technologies, such as electricity, railways, modern agriculture.

The series culminates with a set of images alluding to the great political and social themes of the century, such as education, suffrage and planning. The last image represents, in the form of an ascending curve and a large indigenous figure, the demographic explosion.

The Hernán Santa Cruz library of ECLAC was inaugurated in 1948, in order to support the research and analysis work of the economy and society of Latin America and the Caribbean.

During 2008 the library was named after Hernán Santa Cruz, a lawyer who proposed the creation of the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC) proposed in June 1947, and that during that year the sixtieth anniversary of ECLA and the signing of the declaration of human rights was celebrated.

Currently the library has a collection that exceeds 100,000 physical volumes, including books, magazines, photographs, copies of official documents, among others. The library has collections oriented to social science disciplines, such as international trade, economics, social development, sustainable development, planning, gender studies, natural resources, infrastructure, among others.[14]​.

The architect Emilio Duhart is considered by the historiography of modern architecture at an international level as a key actor of the second half of the century in Chile, and the ECLAC building is the work that received the most attention from specialized critics.[15] Early on, the historian Henry Russell Hitchcock highlighted Duhart's activity within the framework of the exhibition, and the catalog that accompanied it, on modern architecture in Latin America organized at the New York Museum of Art the year 1955.[16]​.

One of the first international references to the project of the United Nations building for Santiago de Chile is found in the book by Paul F. Damaz published in 1963 - the same year that construction work began - in the United States by Reinhold.[17] Damaz's publication Art in Latin American Architecture (1963) reviews the relationships between art and architecture in Latin America from pre-Columbian cultures to modern architecture, and analyzes the collaboration between artists and architects of its time to evaluate the different solutions integration of the arts. The United Nations building was published in relation to the collaboration between the architect and the plastic artist Mario Carreño who proposed the sculpture of the Tree of Nations located in the reflecting pool in front of the main entrance to the building, as well as the design of a mosaic wall behind the complex. Neither of the two proposals was built.

In 1966, the Chilean magazine AUCA dedicated a very extensive report to the building which included an interview with Duhart (“Critical Dialogue”), planimetry of the building and photographs of the construction. At an international level, the prestigious French magazine l'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui") published the project in number 137 (1967/1968) dedicated to public buildings, along with works by Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier or Jean Prouvé among others. The inclusion of the project in said number recognized the importance of the building at an international level. Likewise, the building was published in number 17 (1968) of the also French magazine Architecture de Lumiére.

In 1969, the Argentine architect Francisco Bullrich mentioned the building in his publications New Paths of Latin American Architecture[18]​ and Arquitectura Latinoamericana 1930/1970.[19]​ The same year, the Spanish historian exiled in Chile Leopoldo Castedo, published A History of Latin American Art and Architecture. From Pre-Columbian Times to the Present,[20] which appeared the following year, 1970, in Spanish.

The ECLAC building has been recognized since its origins as an emblematic work of Latin American architectural production, representative of the architecture of the Modern Movement in Chile.

The building designed by Duhart alludes to traditional forms such as the colonial rural house or the dimensions of the regular block of the founding center (95x95 m)[6]​.

The building, an architectural and historical landmark, was conceived by the architect as a monument from its conception, as confirmed by an excerpt from the document presenting the preliminary project to the competition jury: "The United Nations building is proposed as a house and as a monument. The house of nations in community. The monument is a visible expression of its spiritual and social desire. House and Monument emerge as a plastic and functional Unit, legible for all. Monument for the Nations, Monument for its meeting point, Chile”.[7]​.

The building has been included on the watch list of the International Committee for the Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of the Modern Movement (DOCOMOMO). The committee, since the 1980s, has sought to protect the architectural heritage of the modern movement. In the Eindhoven declaration (1990-2014), the fundamental principles that determine the importance of the Modern Movement are established, promoting the identification, registration, conservation and reuse of buildings and sites of the Modern Movement. Opposing the destruction and transformation of this heritage. The United Nations building has been listed as a relevant example of modern architectural heritage, due to its innovative design concepts, structural model and construction techniques.[21]​.

In 2015, the building was included in the exhibition Latin America in Construction: Architecture 1955 – 1980, at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York dedicated to modern Latin American architecture. The exhibition exhibited more than 500 works with photographs, drawings, plans and videos of representative buildings of modernism in the region, among which was a large model of the main headquarters of ECLAC.[22]​.

Likewise, the project can be highlighted as a contribution to the urban and landscape heritage of Santiago by incorporating the geographical values ​​of the city. Its construction coincides with the proposal of the first Intercommunal Regulatory Plan of Santiago in 1960 by architect Juan Parrochia.[23] Duhart had developed proposals on the future of the city through the Greater Santiago Seminar (1957). In this way, the building can be understood as the architect's vision for the development of the city and the planning of green areas. Strategically located with the Andes Mountains in the background, on the southern bank of the Mapocho River, and at the end of a park, in an area that served as a land reserve for the green area where the Bicentennial Park is currently located.

The ECLAC building has been open to the public for the Cultural Heritage Day of Chile "Cultural Heritage Day (Chile)") (DPC) in 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2017. Due to the 2010 earthquake, the structure suffered some minor damage, so the building was subjected to a series of renovations seeking to modernize its spaces and recover in some areas the original design of its creators. Among them is the renovation of the fourth floor that includes a new conference room. Between 2000-2008, several master plan works were carried out, among which the recovery of large open spaces on the north and south sides of the property, where the Carmelo Soria civic plaza, used for open-air ceremonies, is located. Meeting rooms and a reception building were also built for the visiting public, structures that also show Duhart's original concept.[24]​.

• - Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category on ECLAC Building.

• - Official website of ECLAC.