Hanga Roa

It shows a reinforced concrete structure, with a strong vertical direction, but which is complemented by a horizontal volumetric layout. Its facades facing east have red lenses, an important aesthetic feature of the building that promotes coexistence with the city’s center. The facades that are located in north-west orientation, have a clear preference to the sea. The shape of its balconies and its volumetry was designed so as not to burst forcefully towards the coastal edge, however, the presence of cantilevered beams that point towards the sea, as well as the non-existence of limits of the continuous balconies, generate a opposite effect.

Regarding the internal articulation of the building, the Hanga Roa in the center establishes its vertical circulation system. The elevators and stairs connect with a concave corridor that, floor by floor, gives access to the housing units. The stairs stand out for their design that intertwines around a large void, respected up to the ninth floor. From there to the fifteenth, it is reduced to a single stair, which has two sections. The orientation of the building favors the use of light provided by the glazed facade, giving access to natural lighting. Both the finishing touches and its internal decoration have been restored due to the damage suffered in the earthquakes of 1985 and 2010, which leaves in doubt what elements are preserved from its original version. However, the materials used, typical of the time, are still present, such as steel, aluminum in handrails and frames, and also the use of colored organic glass in railings and facades. Outside, fulget was used as the washed stone. The use of white color as a preference, gives the feeling of wide spaces and full of light, which is intensified by the concave layout of the building structure.