Alto Atacama Hotel

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Architects: Carlos Alberto Urzúa Baeza - Francisco Javier Guerrero del Río
Collaborators: María Ignacia Salas Z. - Marisol Ibáñez H. - Macarena Prat del Río
Location: San Pedro de Atacama Comuna II Región – Chile
General Contractor: Matías Pizza Lazo
Structural Engineering: Patricio Recabal Sandoval
Lighting Desing: Paulina Sir Fierro
Landscaping: Verónica Pobrete Baigorría - Pedro Jordán Saint-Marie
Materials: Paneles Prefabricados de H.A, Barro Revocado, Madera, Piedra
Site Area: 35.100 M2
Built Area: 4.695 M2
Design Year: 2006
Project Year: 2007

The Alto Atacama Hotel is located 3 kilometers from the city of San Pedro de Atacama, on a 35100 m2 land mass on the desert plains of Atacama, north of Chile. Close to the ruins of Pukará de Quitor, the hotel stands alongside the San Pedro River.

This is a low-rise architectural project that respects the local architecture of the zone and keeps to the natural levels of the land. It uses the earth of the place to cover the floors and the walls, and bamboos to sift the light, creating half-shadows and ventilation that brings refreshment to the heat of the day.

The general body is developed around a central core that contains the entrance lobby, reception, halls, dining area, kitchen and restrooms. The rooms are accessed from here, through sidewalks and paths typical of the traditional urban planning of the zone.

The rooms are laid out lineally, creating interior gardens with shaded circulations, and arranged irregularly to avoid monotony. This gives an interesting variety to the circulations and independence to the enclosures from the exterior terraces of each room.

The materiality of the hotel is made up of prefabricated concrete panels, plastered with clay from the place, reinforced concrete slabs and impermeable roof, wood pillars and natural stone of the place for the construction of the exterior spaces.

The landscape design very significantly makes use of the natural differences in levels to create terrace gardens and uses volcanic rocks, colored gravel, sandstones and other stone elements to accompany the indigenous vegetation of the place – the cactus, coirones pastures, grasses, pepper plants and chañares.

Another highlight of living in this hotel are the Spa facilities of pools, temperate pools, jacuzzis, saunas and open-air thermal baths, surrounded by terraces and walls that define spaces to achieve an adequate amount of privacy for the guests.