Siamese Towers
Alejandro Aravena / ELEMENTAL · Santiago, Chile · 2005
The Siamese Towers combine two related building volumes within the San Joaquín campus in Santiago. Alejandro Aravena's design uses a shared lower body and a split upper form to respond to programme, orientation and environmental demands. A layered envelope distinguishes the internal working spaces from the building's external image. The project is particularly useful for examining how a university facility can express both collective identity and differentiated internal uses, while its relationship with campus paths places the complex within a larger educational landscape. Visiting: A working university building. Exterior access depends on campus rules. Teaching areas require authorization.