Castaway Islands Robinson Crusoe Island Botanical Research Station Juan Fernรกndez Archipelago, Chile
Castaway Islands Botanical Research Station Juan Fernรกndez Islands, Chile
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Juan Fernández Islands in the world.
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San Juan Bautista Village in Robinson Crusoe Island.
An urbanized rural path. A bridge between urban and natural contexts, reinterpreting the existing path as place, connection and transition among them.
Robinson Crusoe Island 1. San Juan Bautista Village 2. National Park
INTRODUCTION
T
he Flora and Fauna in the Juan Fernández Archipelago (33 o50’S
80 o00’W) developed in complete isolation, some 700 km West of Santiago in Chile, on three small volcanic islands. The eldest of them, Robinson Crusoe Island, is about 4 million years old and harbours unique botanical communities with up
duction of invasive plagues such as Eu-
government and other international
to 70% endemism, that is to say, species
ropean rabbit, wild goat and blackberry,
NGO’s, have assumed the duty to take
that do not exist in any other location in
among others, pushing some of these
care of these species in the long term:
the planet. Nevertheless, this World
unique species towards the edge of ex-
the Experimental Station for Botanical
Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO, 1977)
tinction,transforming the Juan Fernández
Research and Conservation arises
and National Park (1935) has suffered
Islands into a critical conservation priority.
as a response to the requirement of
devastation of its botanical resources,
The Forest National Corporation (CONAF)
infrastructure to perform this magnificent
as a result of human action and the intro-
in association with the Netherlands'
scientific task.
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PARAMETERS
tic configuration in order to perpetuate,
As a consequence of the diverse origins of
by developing mutual conditions of humidity,
their botanical biomass -coming from
light and protection from the winds.
places as remote as Hawaii, New Zealand
Consisting of three major layers, from
and Japan, as well as continental
cringing plants, mosses and likens (A),
Chile- some naturalists have called them
through ferns and mid-size plants (B),
“Castaway Islands”, alluding Daniel
to an arboreal shroud -the canopy (C),
Defoe’s famous adventure novel.
this ecosystem provides an integral habitat.
Carried by the wind, through the sea or
Aswell as these plants, human -at his first
through some fleeting bird, each of these
arrival in 1574- had to create conditions of
"marrooned" plants had to adapt to the
habitability for his own protection and survival.
naked substrate or die. Those which survived Some achitectural elements, tangible witnesses organized a balanced and stratified symbio-
of human's presence in the Archipelago,
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C
3. Alexander Selkirk’s cavern in Robinson Crusoe Island.
B
4. Endemic flora configuration layers. 5. Spaniards’ Fort Santa Bárbara in Robinson Crusoe Island.
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A
appear mainly in MĂĄs a Terra, known today
of this project, not only as drivers of the
as Robinson Crusoe Island: the cavern
settling operation, but also of the selection
appears as the very basic and intuitive
of materials to use.
as connection,
form of inhabiting, as a result of the forced settlements of Alexander Selkirk -the real
LOCATION
Crusoe- and some Chilean patriots
Due to its program, the Station has to
deported here during the independence
articulate two different contextual
war against the Spaniards. On the other
situations: the urban one, of the only
hand, the stonewall -vestige of the Spanish
permanent human settlement, San Juan
Forts- appears as the first rational form of
Bautista village; and the natural one of
construction and establishment of a new
the Park, source, origin and reason of
tectonic order in the Islands. Both elements
the scientific work. This brings us to
will be considered during the development
consider a third element, their
as place,
as transition among contexts.
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Cumberland Bay 1. Project Location 2. National Park
7 6. San Juan Bautista in Cumberland Bay, Robinson Crusoe Island. 7. Path´s layout from urban to natural.
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connection: the path that connects the
PROPOSAL
urban space with the endemic forest,
The proposal is inspired by the naturalistic
which, around the limit of urban
concept of the Castaway Islands, as the
occupation, crosses lengthwise a
driver to approach the tectonic chassis
16.000 m2 lot, transforming it into a
that the Island constitutes.
virtual bridge among both dimensions
Consecuently, the spatial proposal is
of the island -urban and natural-
generated by the arrival of a new grand
understanding this bridge from three
architectural canopy that settles, like a wandering
different perspectives: as a connection
feather, on the insular chassis; breaking
between two points, as a place itself
down the original tripartite configuration of the
and as a transition among diverse
endemic forest in a rational-scientific operation,
situations.
becoming the major layer in a new order,
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8. A wandering feather settles down on the ground. 9. Model seen from the residence modules. 10. Front view of the Station, from the ramp.
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11. Location and roof plan.
in a preliminary operation of organic space-adaptation. A grand ramped bridge rises reinterpreting the existing path, while keeping its original layout. Along this bridge, visitors will experience the relevance of these plants, while the grand threshold will encourage the observation of the work developed in the transparent two main buildings of the complex, which converge in one common space and functionally communicate underneath the ramp.
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13 12. Conceptual scheme. 13. Model superimposed on aerial photograph of San Juan Bautista Village.
A crystal prism arises from the ground -substrate- to harbor conservation, administration and logistic activities for both Station and Park. This giant greenhouse is divided into three staggered sub-cameras, protected by the major glu-lam canopy; a rationalized sunshade which provides the exact necessary light conditions for the conservation of species under controlled environmental conditions and, at the same time, allows permanent visual dialogue towards the insular landscape, especially
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15 14. Project model top vew. 15. Digital perspective view from the main ramp.
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/ Aerial main ramped bridge.
2.I / First Layer (c) Greenhouse - Nursery. 2.II / Second Layer (b) Greenhouse - Nursery.
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2.III / Third Layer (a) Greenhouse - Nursery.
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/ Administration (Park & Station).
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/ Natural-Historic Sample.
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Tourists’ Break Place.
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Superior Terrace.
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Water Tank.
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Gu-lam Major Canopy.
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2.II
2.I
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Level +54,00 m.a.s.l.
Level +51,00 m.a.s.l.
Level +48,00 m.a.s.l.
towards the ocean. Each of the three greenhouses provide conditions for each of the three basic layers of the endemic forest configuration; not only through environmental conditions, but also providing tailored space and scale for each group of species (A, B, C). This allows to acclimatize species -difficult to reach in situ- in order to study and spread them according to research and conservation needs.
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Essential element of this grand threshold, is the second building; with very dissimilar
16. Aerial view (from a helicopter) of part of San Juan Bautista Village.
features to the previous one, not only from 17. West elevation. from its outward appearance but from its function aswell. It is the research and
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21 18. Section. 19. Yunquea (Yunquea Tenzii). Endemic Fern.
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20. Chonta (Juania Australis). Endemic Palm. 21. Set of Endemic Ferns
extension nucleus, that harbors genetic
In a farther area of the complex, the
laboratories, as well as public areas such
residence units are located. Eight residence
as library, study rooms and the cafeteria
modules respond to the form of inhabiting
-with a large terrace on top of the building-
of the first captives -the patriots and
which constitutes a superb spot for the
Selkirk, the Scottish- in a contemporary
observation of the Station and its very
and more comfortable reinterpretation of
singular surroundings. The research buil-
inhabiting in contact with the substrate.
ding overturns toward the greenhouses,
National and international scientists will stay
allowing the observation of the scientific
there for periods of up to six months, deve-
processes through their transparent
loping their work in the Station, to be shared
facades.
with the International Scientific Community.