UNCTAD III Building: Construction and Consolidation of a Cultural Space and Popular Sociability (1972-1973)

Abstract

The UNCTAD III building was built to host the Third Conference for Trade and Development held in April 1972 in Santiago, Chile. This construction that stood out for its architectural originality was based on the ideology of social cohesion incorporated in the Popular Unity’s sociocultural project. In its construction, the participation and commitment of the laborers, professionals, and cultural workers was essential, who managed to finish the building in a record time of 275 days. Once the conference was over, the architectural complex was used, as it was originally conceived, as a cultural center open to the people. Based on the above, this research analyses the popular sociability that was generated in the vicinity of the building, both in its construction process (workers, artists, architects, and students) and in its later use where different popular sectors converged.