Waterfront of Valparaíso – Dream it Design it

The international charrette, New Wave, was held in Valparaíso, Chile. The site encompassed the main portion of Valparaíso’s waterfront. As the city has grown, the waterfront has become disabled through the addition of a multi-lane road as well as a light rail system that facilitates travel through the city and connects it with other nearby tourist destinations. Although these additions improve connectivity on a large scale, they fracture the connection from the city to the waterfront. Another interesting feature of the site is that it was once home to a major hub in the country’s rail system, and remnants included a turntable, roundhouse, multiple storage buildings, and some remaining passenger cars. A previous development effort added a boardwalk, playground, health park, and many staircases down to a sandy beach. Unfortunately, these constructions did not age well. Our design considered the project as a set of sectional areas for the public to occupy. Each section had a different experiential goal. This included creating an outdoor performance area, fishing platforms, fountains, splash zones, and beach areas. To make this design truly a part of Valparaíso and its heritage, many of the existing conditions were reimagined. The roundhouse became home to an artisan and craft market, some of the vintage cars became cafe space and others are used for museum galleries. A sheltered, public picnic area was created out of a remaining facade and water access was inserted with semisubmerged stair paths. This five day charrette culminated with a showing of the work to an international panel and audience.

Professor: Gustavo Crembil
Partners: Jessica Gentile, Flavie Merger, Andre Castro Lagos, Esteban Lopez Acevedo
Software: Rhino, AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, Paint