Condarco Condominium

Architect

Nicolás Matzner Weisner

Associate Architects

Cristián Meneses Gómez
Pablo Durán Mateluna

Stained Glass Design

Isabel Weisner Horowitz

Construction Company

NMW

Date of Construction

January 2010 – November 2011

Built Area

115 m2

Location

Álvarez Condarco 921 – Providencia, Santiago, Chile.

Condarco Loft Condominium

On February 27, 2010 an earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale struck, affecting 80% of the Chilean population. The majority of adobe houses were completely destroyed and others were seriously damaged preventing habitability.

This was the case for the almost century-old tenement, located on Álvarez Condarco in the district of Providencia, Santiago.

The management, architecture and construction project resulted in the alteration of the remains of the original building, creating a condominium of two detached houses, each with two levels, parking, patio and three rooms.

First, the perimeter and interior were reinforced with a steel structure, and then most of the original remnants of the building were removed, keeping parts of the facade, the roof and interior walls.

921 Loft

The parking lot serves as sort of canal, separating the street´s public space from the privacy of the home.

Under the double-height living room interior are four very distinct elevations: the parking lot via a fully glazed module, a stained glass window of 6 meters designed by the artist Isabel Weisner, a large white neutral wall and the interior facade of the steel building, which frames the lower area the kitchen/dining room and backyard, and on the upper area is the wing of rooms.

Both possess an outdoor balcony located above the backyard.

Language Approach

The finish always seeks to pay tribute to the elements which survived over time but to also differentiate at first sight, all added novelties.

The steel structure is exposed in a clear rhythm of columns and beams; decking plate is used as the finish for the ceiling and rock sheet partitioning walls, which can be distinguished by their white color.

All beams and original hardwood pillars, which remained after the demolition, were used as finishing material for cabinets, roofs, ceiling beams and railings.