León Duval — Spatial Possibilities

The commission consisted in the updating and future planification of an emblematic fire station originally built in 1962, and belonging to the Jewish community in Chile. The building, over the years, suffered a number of interventions that did not involve any kind of planning or strategy originating severe aesthetic issues, and practical and operative difficulties, as well as constraints and rigidities towards the incorporation of new technological demands. This way, the proposal contemplates the design of a master plan for the next ten years including different phases of remodelling and extensions that consider the uninterrupted usage of the building due to its critical infrastructure category for the area.

Then, and primarily due to the fact that firemans in Chile are volunteers, the project is organised around non-aggressive and economically viable phases of interventions. So, the strategy sought to clear spaces, accommodate new uses, and unify the existing languages while optimising functioning, and technologically updating the headquarters to meet the current requirements of firehouses and their equipment. The first stages considered the change of the facade, the extension of the garage and the creation of a sober building for the administration, warehouses, changing rooms and training space. As a second intervention, a few years later the recreational area was built, which considered the design of the interior garden, the finishing of the interior facades, a family swimming pool, and a terrace with an onsite barbecue area.