Portal Alameda2015
Vertical Densification, Architectural Concept,
The
location of Portal Alameda is a central transportation hub connecting the
central axis of Santiago de Chile with the Maipú workers neighborhood and
Greater Valparaiso's costal area. Multiple side roads join the three main roads
dominated by constant traffic jams further nourished by the in and out coming
buses of a major bus station connecting Chile with Santiago and its
international airport.
The axis of
the new building redirects the traffic flow, connects the bus, taxi and metro
station and links the currently idle park Pajaritos and the greenery besides
Ruta 68. Portal Alameda also balances out the unequal distribution of public
infrastructure and institutions currently favoring the wealthy East of
Santiago. Set as a beacon of three programs in vertical orientation, it houses
an upper part hotel, office spaces in the middle part and a lower recreational
area with a transportation hub base. The three volumes are pointing into the
direction of the three traffic axis and intersect vertically creating atriums
designed as spaces of encounter. A horizontal visual cut through the base
connects the greenery on both sides directing the flow of pedestrians.
