Contemporary Chilean Architecture ventures into China

The Chilean Embassy in Beijing will host the First Seminar of Contemporary Chilean Architecture on November 17, organized by AOArchitecture China and the Country Image Committee of CORFO, the Chilean Corporation for Promotion of Production. The seminar will provide an opportunity to find out about the architecture of the South American country, and it will also be part of the activities to launch the Positioning Project of Chilean architectural services in China.

During the last decade, a growing number of Chilean architects have been recognized around the world for their development of avant-garde, competitive and sustainable projects, which have been executed in different corners of the planet. “Since most of our architects have experience in scenarios with complex geographic factors and scarce economic resources, they can export their professional services to any part of the world,” explained Fernando Marin, President of AOArchitecture China.

“This Project corresponds to a plan to position the “contemporary Chilean architecture” brand, which will make it possible to measure the professional abilities of Chilean architectural firms and their level of design and technology with the highest standards in the world, as well as their ability to respond to the challenges,” he added.

For the first time in history, Chilean architects have joined together to export their services, and the chosen country was China, Chile’s leading trading partner.

The program of the event will cover subjects like the economic situation in Chile, an overview of contemporary Chilean architecture, and the country’s experience in architecture and sustainability. The magazine of AOA will also be presented, and it will be published for the first time in Spanish, English, and Chinese.

Speakers will include the President of AOArchitecture China, Fernando Marín, the Head of the Country Image Committee of CORFO, Patricia Noda, and the partner of AOArchitecture and Leed Accredited Professional Renato Miranda.

An exhibit of more than 140 projects of Chilean architecture will be inaugurated at the same time. The projects will present a general overview of contemporary Chilean architecture in different areas of development.

This positioning project was launched on November 12 in Shanghai during an activity attended by the President of Chile, Ms. Michelle Bachelet Jeria, who pointed out the main characteristics of contemporary Chilean architecture and its potential for developing projects in China.

Implementation of the Project will be the responsibility of the Association of Architectural Firms of Chile, an entity that represents more than 160 architectural firms that have designed more than 70% of the architectural production of the country, which adds up to an approximate total of 35,000,000 m2 over the last five years.

The “Plan for the Promotion and Positioning of Contemporary Chilean Architecture in China” accompanies the installation of the AOArchitecture office in Beijing in the first half of the year. The office is making its first contacts and establishing the conditions for export of architecture services and the formation of joint ventures with Chinese architectural institutes.