Estación Mapocho is a former
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
that has been refitted as a cultural center since 1994, hosting a variety of events in Santiago, Chile.
History
The design and construction of the station began in 1905 at the hands of Emilio Jecquier, a Chilean architect based in France. The 280-metre-long, 17-metre-high structure was composed of a base of
masonry
Masonry is the craft of building a structure with brick, stone, or similar material, including mortar plastering which are often laid in, bound, and pasted together by mortar (masonry), mortar. The term ''masonry'' can also refer to the buildin ...
and a steel vault covered in glass (now copper). The steel structure was constructed by the Belgian company Haine Saint Pierre. The official inauguration of the station took place on May 12, 1912, and the station opened to the public in 1913.
In many ways, Estación Mapocho is a relic of a significant period in
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
an history when the country was going through major economic and social changes, as well as celebrating its first centenary. The station was one of several civil works commissioned to celebrate the first centenary of
Chilean independence, along with the park of
Santa Lucía Hill, the
Chilean High Court of Justice, and the
Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts. The building is located at the intersection of two streets,
Presidente Balmaceda and Bandera, on the south bank of the
Mapocho River
The River Mapocho () ( Mapudungun: ''Mapu chuco'', "water that penetrates the land") is a river in Chile. It flows from its source in the Andes mountains onto the west and divides Chile's capital Santiago in two.
Course
The Mapocho begins at the ...
close to the
Mercado Central de Santiago
The Mercado Central de Santiago is the central market of Santiago de Chile
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital city, capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is loca ...
.
Puente Cal y Canto metro station is beneath the "Plaza de la Cultura", or Culture Square, in front of the station.
For many years, Estación Mapocho was Santiago's main
rail hub serving
Valparaíso
Valparaíso () is a major city, Communes of Chile, commune, Port, seaport, and naval base facility in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. Valparaíso was originally named after Valparaíso de Arriba, in Castilla–La Mancha, Castile-La Mancha, Spain ...
,
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
and northern
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
, which at the time was the centre of Chile's
niter
Niter or nitre is the mineral form of potassium nitrate, KNO3. It is a soft, white, highly soluble mineral found primarily in arid climates or cave deposits.
Potassium and other nitrates are of great importance for use in fertilizers and, hi ...
or
saltpeter
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with a sharp, salty, bitter taste and the chemical formula . It is a potassium salt of nitric acid. This salt consists of potassium cations and nitrate anions , and is therefore an alkali metal nitrate ...
boom.
In recognition of its imposing architecture and its sentimental and historic value, the building was declared a
National Monument
A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a sp ...
by law in 1976.
Image:Construcción Estacion Mapocho.jpg , In its construction stage
Image:EstacionMapocho-vistaaerea-2010.jpg , Aerial view of the Estación Mapocho. Image taken from the summit of the San Cristobal Hill.
Image:Centro cultural Estación Mapocho 03.JPG , Details of the Interior
Image:Estación Mapocho desde la micro..JPG , Facade
Image:Vista desde plaza baja hall.jpg , View of the lower hall
In 1986, the station was temporarily closed for remodeling and rail traffic was diverted to Alameda Station, causing great inconvenience to commuters coming from
Valparaíso
Valparaíso () is a major city, Communes of Chile, commune, Port, seaport, and naval base facility in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. Valparaíso was originally named after Valparaíso de Arriba, in Castilla–La Mancha, Castile-La Mancha, Spain ...
and reducing passenger numbers on the line. The same year, the
Queronque rail accident left 58 dead and caused the
Santiago–Valparaíso railway line to close. In 1987, the
Empresa de Ferrocarriles del Estado (Chile's State Railroad Company or EFE) stopped the remodeling works and Estación Mapocho was decommissioned. The serious structural decay and lack of use caused the station to be abandoned. Since demolition of a national monument is expressly forbidden by law,
Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado sold the building to
CORFO
The Production Development Corporation (CORFO, from ) is a Chilean governmental organization that was founded in 1939 by President Pedro Aguirre Cerda to promote economic growth in Chile.
Originally, CORFO was responsible for the creation of ...
, Chile's economic growth agency, in 1988.
Estación Mapocho Cultural Centre
In 1991 a non-profit private organization, Corporación Cultural de la Estación Mapocho (Estación Mapocho Cultural Corporation), was commissioned to oversee the redevelopment and management of the building. Sponsored by the "Colegio de Arquitectos" (Architects’ Association), the
City of Santiago invited tenders from private organisations to refurbish the building. It was one of the first instances of a private organization managing a public building in Chile, and one of the first cultural projects carried out after Chile's
transition to democracy.
Architects
Montserrat Palmer,
Teodoro Fernández, Ramón López and Rodrigo Pérez de Arce were appointed to carry out the remodeling work. Their proposal involved remodeling the 10,000 square metre space with minimal alteration or disruption, preserving the original work of architect wherever possible. The project cost an estimated 10 million
US dollars
The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
.
The restoration work was completed by the beginning of 1994, and the new Estación Mapocho Cultural Centre was inaugurated on March 3, 1994. Today, the centre is a heritage site dedicated to the promotion of culture in Chile. The building serves as venue for cultural events such as art exhibitions, musical performances and conventions. The
Santiago International Book Fair
The Santiago International Book Fair (''Spanish: Feria Internacional del Libro de Santiago, FILSA'') is an annual book fair held in Santiago, Chile, during October–December. It is organised by the Chilean Chamber for Books (''Cámara Chilena de ...
is held at the cultural centre every year in late spring.

The centre's success in promoting and preserving the heritage of Chile was recognised when it won the City Heritage Award in 2005, its 100th anniversary as a building and 15th anniversary as a cultural centre. It also received the
Reina Sofía International Award for Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage in 2008.
El Centro Cultural Mapocho de Sntiago de Chile y el Museo del Carnaval de Montevideo, premios Reina Sofía de Conservación y Restauración del Patrimonio Cultural
Gobierno de España, Madrid, April 24, 2009
See also
*Culture of Chile
The culture of Chile reflects the population and the geographic isolation of the country in relation to the rest of South America. Since colonial times, the Chilean culture has been a mix of Spain, Spanish colonial elements with elements of In ...
* Music of Chile
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Estacion Mapocho
Mapocho Station
Railway stations in Chile opened in 1913
Railway stations in Chile closed in 1987
Sports venues in Santiago, Chile
Indoor arenas in Chile
Music venues in Chile
National Monuments of Chile