wickEr tEmPorary city

Domingo Arancibia Pablo Casals

Profesor, Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo, Profesor, Universidad Andrés Bello,
Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile Santiago, Chile

Chimbarongo, Chile

We can understand imaginaries as long historical

accumulation processes that are sedimented over
time, shaping the image of a place. But sometimes
progress breaks that bond between history and
image, leaving imaginaries without actual support.
This project not only rescues an imaginary about
to disappear, but also renews it – so that its
potential future is not hindered by nostalgia.

Ke y words · heritage, image, land, crops, production systems

Located 150 km south of Santiago and historically linked

to artisanal activities,1 the town of Chimbarongo was
established in the early 20th century as the wicker capital,
given its local cultivation and manufacturing. This activity is
currently under threat, mainly because of poor circulation,
the presence of imported fibers and land use to more
profitable crops. Therefore, the amount of land intended for
wicker production and crafts manufacturing has decreased
significantly (from 223.2 ha in 1997 to 107.5 ha in 2007).2
While the interest in natural fibers has recently grown,
these changes have failed to reverse the situation due to the
concentration of trade in major cities and the insignificant
return of profits to its place of origin.
In 2015 we were appointed by the Municipality of
Chimbarongo to develop a regional scale project to promote
the city and safeguard wicker crops. Therefore, we undertook
a general diagnosis of its current condition from the viewpoint
of its image and its territory. We concluded that wicker

1  During the 80s over 3,000 inhabitants (approx. 10% of current Chimbarongo

population) were engaged in wicker-related activities. Today there are only about
150 people linked to the development of this natural fiber products. Source: Study
Municipality of Chimbarongo, 2012.
2  Comparative analysis between the 1997 and 2007 Agricultural Census.

A R Q 9 4   132  U C C H I L E
 Arquitectos / Architects Detalle cultivos / Crop detail
Domingo Arancibia, Pablo Casals S. E. / N. S.
Arquitectos asociados / Associates
Alexis Quinteros Salazar, Stephan Puschel
Colaboradores / Collaborators
Osvaldo Sandoval, Alekos Vuskovic
Ubicación / Location
Comuna de Chimbarongo, vi Región, Chile
Cliente / Client
Municipalidad de Chimbarongo
Ingeniero agrónomo / Agricultural engineer
Diego Kirberg Sermini
Superficie terreno / Site area
12.100 ha
Año de proyecto / Project year
2015-2016
Fotografías / Photographs
Pablo Casals
Visualizaciones / Renders
Domingo Arancibia

Ciudad temporal de mimbre /

Wicker temporary city
E. / S. 1: 250.000

I M A G I N A R I O S  133  I M A G I N A R I E S
Vista desde el embalse durante mayo / View from the dam during May Vista de la cosecha del mimbre durante junio / View of the wicker harvest in June

was recognized and associated with the town, but the only
references acknowledged were the craft stalls on the side of
Route 5 South. Moreover, we identified two territorial features
offered as an opportunity: Chimbarongo’s regional positioning
in relation to thematic tourist circuits and the presence of the
Convento Viejo reservoir.

proposal
Time span. To wicker features were rescued: its ability to
achieve considerable heights in a short time (5 meters in
a year) and its varied morphology. Thus, we suggested
using the crop as a green wall capable of varying across
its different heights and colors, making the city and the
landscape elements ‘appear and disappear.’
The crop as container. We define a form capable of peripherally
linking Chimbarongo’s four sectors, managing to establish a
zone for urban development (north sector) and one for the
development of rural tourism (southern sector).
The crop as a fabric. The crop’s dynamic properties allow it to
meet different market requirements, being able to expand
or contract according to production demand.
Production systems. We define a protected perimeter
for wicker farming, working through cooperatives. In
addition, we propose built infrastructure for its collection
and processing, plus low-cost workstations for its
manufacturing. ARQ

A R Q 9 4   134  U C C H I L E
Perfiles ciudad temporal /
Temporary city sections
domingo ar ancibia
S. E. / N. S.
<domingoarancibia@gmail.com>
200 100 0 100 200

20,00m

10,00m
Architect, Universidad de Chile, 2013. His undergraduate
thesis was awarded the prize for
5,00m
0,00 nivel suelo cultivo
Cultivo mimbre Ruta 5 sur Cultivo mimbre Cordillera Diciembre / December

5,00m
best national undergraduate project (2012-2014) and
nominated for best world undergraduate project. He
0,00 nivel suelo cultivo
Altos Chimbarongo Cultivo mimbre Centro urbano Ruta 5 sur Cordillera Marzo / March

20,00m

was awarded the Social Architect Expo 2015 Milan,

Cultivo mimbre Cosecha mimbre

Arquitectura Caliente, Obra destacada in the xix

Mayo / May

Rivera embalse Convento Viejo

Valparaiso Biennial and Archiprix Awards second place,
Embalse Convento Viejo Agosto / August

among others. His works have been published in Italy,

Bodegas de acopio Centro urbano Bodegas de acopio Estaciones
de trabajo Rivera Convento Viejo
5,00m

Septiembre / September
Germany, Spain, China and presented in various
10,00m
biennials and international exhibitions. Arancibia is
5,00m

professor at the Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad

de Chile and director of the office Estudio de
Ruta 5 sur
Enero / January Arquitectura Normal.
10,00m

Centro urbano Ruta 5 sur Cordillera Noviembre / November

Septiembre / September pablo casals
<hello@pablocasals.cl>

Architect, Universidad Andrés Bello, Chile, 2007. In 2009

founded his own architecture and photography office, a
platform from which has developed different projects
in Chile and Mexico, in collaboration and partnership
with T38studio. Has been professor
at the Universidad Andrés Bello, Universidad Finis
Terrae, Universidad Diego Portales and Universidad San
Sebastián. His work includes the exhibition Blanca
montaña, a record of Chilean contemporary
architecture for the last 20 years, distinguished at the 5th
Budapest Architecture Film Days as Best Landscape
Architecture Film. He currently serves as a professor at
the Universidad Andrés Bello.

Estaciones de trabajo / Julio

Empozamiento de los
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Seasonal activities
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I M A G I N A R I O S  135  I M A G I N A R I E S