Chile singular. Apuntes de viaje

T H E E L E V A T O R S O F V A L P A R A Í S O In Valparaíso, three components come together to define its urban structure as a port-city: the hills, the plain and the sea. I became interested in the elevators and staircases as a response to connecting these three fundamental elements. The integration of stairs and elevators provides a solution for all pedestrian routes that weave between the plain and the hills, shaping the urban order that opens like an amphitheater to the sea. In an orderly and planned manner, or simply spontaneously and chaotically , elevators and staircases appear articulating different realities and transporting people between different neighborhoods, streets, and squares of the city. They always offer surprising and unexpected views that open up to the horizon or reveal themselves through gaps between corners and facades. At times, they peek into the privacy of private interiors or startle with steep and dramatic slopes. Over more than a century , earthquakes, fires, collapses, and demolitions have occurred in this city that struggles to maintain its character. At one time, in the early 20th century , there were 28 functioning elevators and hundreds of staircases scattered throughout the hills of Valparaíso. Despite protection plans and heritage declarations, their deterioration has not been fully reversed. Between Christmas and new year of 2008, I returned to the port to sign a document at a notary , and the elevator on Arturo Prat Street (Ascensor Concepción) appeared before me. I stopped for 10 minutes and sketched it on the notary’s receipt. On my way back, I thought about creating a brief record of these ingenious structures that tie the port to the sea and its people, constructing a unique urban order. And here they are, all the journeys I could make. A bunch of sketches that illustrate, using color, the current state of Valparaiso’s elevators. I hope this can serve for more than just seeing how they are today struggling in neglect and it can be a desperate call to save and restore them, allowing them to continue serving and giving meaning and identity to the distinctive urbanism of the port. Valparaíso was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. VALPARA Í SO , 2008 - 20 1 0 . 122