One of the reasons argued for the major refurbishment of the Plaza de Armas de Santiago, to the last turn of the century, was clear view of the most important historical buildings in the environment, particularly on the North and West, as the trees were too far above their facades. This motivation was mentioned as a fresh idea and new innovative approaches based on the appearance of cities and the integration of urban growth with the historical element base.
However, the city already has examples of this very old case clear vision, whether by chance or by specific architectural criteria. One of them is the Plaza Mekis, whose open area at the corner of Agustinas San Antonio to facilitate the hearing and imposition of the facade and the pediment of the Municipal Theatre, in front, and the Palace and former Subercaseaux Jockey Club Building.
Indeed, this particular corner of Santiago has been maintained with the same host plant overlooked since the nineteenth century, preserving their urban functionality, in addition to a brief rest and recreation in this area of \u200b\u200bdowntown Santiago as important in commerce and offices. For many years worked alongside the plaza across street San Antonio, also the famous and now defunct Café Paula, a symbol of the ancient city.
By 1930 ...
Today ...
ORIGIN OF THE SMALL SQUARE
The merit of this architecture comes from the French and Francisco Augusto Brunet Charmet des Baines, who were commissioned by President Manuel Montt, in 1853, the design of the Teatro Municipal and the environment, built on the neighborhood where the former had previously worked University of San Felipe and his old amphitheater. The completion of the work was left to Luciano Henault, also French. Partly explains the appearance and baroque French-style around this area.
The result of the work was an open floor and rectangular, built with the checkerboard scheme to be quite rare in our city, from the European inspired of the time. Its function is thus allow visual and perceptual assurance from the front of the Municipal Theatre without it be overshadowed by other buildings.
The oldest photographs show the area of \u200b\u200bthe current plaza as a former "hard place" surrounded by colonial buildings occupying almost the same perimeter of the current. A particularly interesting image is reproduced on the album "GASCO: History of Consumers Gas Company of Santiago, 1856-1996" by Richard Nazer and Gerardo Martinez, showing the original appearance of this old side of town, with some of the old facade of the Teatro Municipal tejada house and an apartment in what is now the corner of pedestrian Tenderini , where today stands the building of the National Society of Agriculture. Before he was also the late Joseph Palacio Arrieta, on the side of San Antonio. In the corner of the front had a residence with a loft, where today are the terraces of the Augustinian Community Building, known as Building Contalent by advertising in his facade. In the background, is seen in the image a rustic, rocky Cerro Santa Lucia before remodeling began around 1872.
In general, this aspect did not change much until next century. After the fatal fire in 1870, the Municipal Theatre underwent several renovations (starting with the reconstruction, led by Henault) and, by 1902, rose the majestic Palace Subercaseaux based on levels of Miguel Angel de la Cruz. Many new changes were made during the twentieth century.
In 1972, the plaza was proposed national monument. By Supreme Decree No. 159 of February 6, 1973, declared a National Historic Landmark buildings overlooking the Piazzetta del Teatro Municipal, as it was called then, the square itself and the elements of the set: the source, the walls gates and the house where he was the guard kiosk the palace.
Stock future place in the file GASCO, taken around 1870.
View around the theater (and rebuilt) and part of the plaza, around 1880.
Image Plaza in 1910.
Plazoleta Municipal Theatre, before being named Patrick Mekis .
The source in 1955 (magazine "On Tour").
CENTRAL SUPPLY
The most characteristic feature of the former Municipal Theater Plazoleta is undoubtedly the source of Children, a piece that gave Chile the Republic of Argentina in our first centenary of independence in 1910. Have relatively large proportions and is another of the meeting in Santiago Centro. Its location has changed since it was installed but, in general, has always been the same the whole sector.
The work was designed and built by the famous Argentine sculptor Arturo Dresco, not by one Adresco , as some mistakenly assert sheets published some news media and websites, perhaps as a result of misunderstanding the reading of the author's signature at the base of the statues ( "A. Dresco" ). In the same inscription records the date of the year 1909 as the cast of the play, so that Argentina had it before the Centennial list from National.
According to interpret the image, the four children playing between outbreaks of source water to symbolically represent the young republics of South America live together amicably and happily, ignoring the fact some of the diplomatic history between them ( is that "One hundred years is nothing" says tango, so). However, Oreste Plath recalls that the group lacks the central image of a girl who was included in the design but which, having received the original accidental injury, was suppressed by the sculptor in the final set of parts.
The font style is very pro-French as well, so it is very well located on this site in Santiago.
MAYOR Mekis
In 1976, he assumed the illustrious Mayor of Santiago Patricio Spikin Mekis a reformer extraordinary aspect of the city, and then saturated by the number of people moving on foot or by tram for a city whose original plan dating back to colonial times. The planning had been lost to the need to enable roads to traffic and there was virtually no pedestrian streets and wide sidewalks comfortable or safe as it jumped Mekis the formidable task of trying for a city adapted to the force to serve vehicles in a more polite to the man on foot.
In the timeline of the great "doers" of the city of Santiago, historians, and historians generally place the founder Pedro de Valdivia, the magistrate and mayor Zañartu Vicuña Mackenna as milestones in the history of the city. In our view, the enormous task of improving the city with Mayor closes Mekis, without whose intervention Santiago might never have been able to recover its open areas and pedestrian walks and Ahumada, State and The Stock Exchange also set criteria the appropriate size of the villages in relation to the road, known as the "Plan for Sidewalks." Accepting a suggestion of Hernan Manriquez also decided to put bars on the Mapocho demolishing sections of old masonry walls and parapets before encircling it also to be the precursor of a plan to make it navigable, an idea that had been stroking very abstract since the Centennial.
All this brought an explosion of trade and particularly strong growth in food establishments, so we could say, without exaggeration, that the aspect of "modern" Santiago is his work. In fact, Mekis personally sought financial assistance from various institutions, especially in the Banco de Chile, to complete the work planned by the architects of the Director of Municipal Works.
His sudden death following a freak accident in 1979, falling from balcony of his summer home, put a sudden end to his life and one of the most fruitful periods of the municipal administration of Santiago.
the city in tribute to the memory of Mayor, was renamed the small Placilla Mekis Patricio Plaza. His monument was erected across the street Augustine, near the mouth of Tenderini. The bronze statue is the work of artist Galvarino Ponce, and was inaugurated the same year of 1979. In it is portrayed Mekis relaxed attitude, his hands back and frozen in a static way, as if he had caught an arrest at a time just walking around this district of cobblestone, looking at greatness of his own work in such a historic and central parts of the city.
View Mekis Patrick's statue from the pool.
PLAZA CURRENT ASPECT
The most contemporary Mekis Patricio Plaza, we would say that the "square" itself, was the work of that architect Hernan Manriquez, the same who designed the Paseo Bulnes. Manriquez was one of the leading consultants in their great task Mekis recovery of the city, too.
Mekis The Plaza has undergone subsequent modifications. The green area has been reduced enough, perhaps more than recommended. In addition, one of his palms was faint features when we took these pictures. Almost all of them were removed and then replanted during the time that lasted the last works of the square. The position of the water source was also changed somewhat, as shown in image comparison.
Many did not like the aspect that remained after the major renovation that lived through the sector, following the construction of underground car parks from 2006 to 2008 when in which, beneath the surface of this area were also valuable archaeological treasures, some parts of which are on display in the first underground complex. Particularly sensitive was the home-guard kiosk original Subercaseaux Palace and embankments are almost completely removed, but later rebuilt and today is practically the same house used for pedestrian access to underground parking.
Unifying wiped stone paved road, now enclosed with small pillars and chains. Benches have also been added that allow you to recover more aspect plaza, despite the evident decline of its green areas.
Jobs 2008.
Current View, and remodeled.
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