FACTORIA ITALIA is a mixed-use complex developed on the site of the former “Girardi Hnos.” hat factory—an iconic early 20th-century industrial compound that laid the foundation for what is now known as “Barrio Italia,” in the Providencia district of Santiago. Awarded through a private competition in 2012, the project has undergone numerous modifications over more than a decade of development, shaped by market fluctuations and the various crises that have impacted Chile in recent years. The project remains partially unfinished.
Despite these changes, the masterplan has remained consistent across all iterations. The design divides the site into three north–south-oriented parallel strips. The central and widest strip is entirely occupied by a large open plaza that spans the full length of the block. The western strip, facing Avenida Italia and designated for retail and office space, consists of the renovation of the most emblematic industrial buildings: Teatro Italia, a 1930 Art Deco structure, and Nave Italia, a series of brick and timber warehouses dating back to 1910. On the eastern edge of the plaza, a new series of buildings is proposed—hospitality spaces above and restaurants at ground level—strengthening the site’s role as a gateway to the neighborhood. The program is further enhanced by the inclusion of a supermarket and underground parking beneath the plaza.
The building presented in the following drawings and photographs is Torre Bilbao, the second phase of the overall development (following the completed underground levels and central plaza). Torre Bilbao is a six-story building housing 39 studio apartments and 14 duplex units, with the ground floor activated by a space intended for a large restaurant and terrace.
The main structural challenge of the tower lay in its position directly above the underground access ramp, which restricted its support to just two continuous structural walls running lengthwise. As a result, the party walls between units function as large concrete beams that transfer loads in an east–west direction.
Despite the compact footprint of the studio apartments, the radical strategy of concentrating all service elements—including the bathroom and shower—along a single closet-wall frees up the remainder of the floor area, while the 2.9-meter ceiling height further enhances the sense of spatial generosity.
PROJECT DATA
Architects:
Albert Tidy Arquitectos
Studio CL (Gabriel Cáceres and Daniel Lazo)
Collaborators:
Ken Qiu Sun, Camila Chaler, Diego Melero
Structural Engineering:
Pedro Bartolomé / ByB Ingeniería
Location:
Providencia, Santiago, Chile
Area:
3,720 m²
Design Year:
2018
Construction Year:
2022
Renderings:
Ken Qiu Sun
Photography:
Aryeh Kornfeld
Studio CL
Primary Materials:
Brick, reinforced concrete, thermopane glass
Hunter Douglas Product:
Cortasol Flat Panel 25, RAL 7016