a wetland between the river and the city

The proposal for the new Los Ríos Regional Library, Archive and Repository accentuates Valdivia’s condition as a wetland city, whose life and history are indivisible from its rivers and wetlands, from before the arrival of the Spanish to the present day.

The intervention proposes free up the site as much as possible at the waterfront level Av. Arturo Prat, reducing the footprint of the building on its first floor to a minimum.

Of the 6,628 m2 of land, 5,500m2 are transformed into a large public square (5/6 of the total surface), serving as a meeting place and as the main access to the library and the rest of the programs, establishing a strong link between the river and the city.

With a landscaping of wet and dry areas, species typical of the area’s wetlands are used, populating it with native aquatic species; voqui, totora, vatro, and native trees and bushes; arrayán, hualle, maqui, pitra, among others.

In this way the access plaza, Plaza Humedal, is understood as a meeting place between natureculture, water and the city.

If historically the development of the city of Valdivia has been shaped by its close relationship with the Calle Calle River, the definition of Plaza Humedal as a public access level for the project is a central determination in the proposal.

Being an intermediate point between Av. Ramón Picarte and Av. Arturo Prat, this square brings together river nature and urban activity, generating a necessary distance between the Library and the activity and noise of the street.

The relevance and regional scale of this great cultural infrastructure will have the capacity to reactivate the relationship between the city and the river in this area of ​​the city, enhancing the flow on the Av. Arturo Prat waterfront and, eventually, reestablishing the Calle Calle river as a way of River transport.

On this watery public surface, the building for the Los Ríos Regional Library, Archive and Repository rises suspended on large columns, giving the plaza large covered areas, forming a walk protected from the constant rains from the area.

In that way, Its use is enabled throughout the year and forms a space that fluidly connects Av. Ramón Picarte and Av. Arturo Prat through public stairs and ramps, without generating backs towards any of its fronts.