Edificio Cooperativa Vitalicia, Modern architectural building in Valparaíso, Chile

The Edificio Cooperativa Vitalicia is a 15-storey, 70-metre mixed-use tower facing Plaza Aníbal Pinto in Valparaíso. Built of iron and concrete, it has a symmetrical front of ten floors and two cylindrical glass stair towers at the rear. Its rear section acts as a retaining wall against Cerro Panteón, hiding Cementerio N° 1 from the square.

Built between 1946 and 1947 by architect Alfredo Vargas Stoller for the Sociedad de Rentas Cooperativa Vitalicia S. A., the tower rose where Calle Estrecho de Magallanes once ran. Some references put its cost at 25 million pesos, a large investment at the time. Construction drew opponents who objected that it hid the view from the plan toward Cerro Panteón and its cemetery.

The tenth floor housed the Club Naval, the country's first social club, founded in 1857 and moved to Plaza Aníbal Pinto in 1941. Its 1,000 m² dining rooms had parquet floors and views over the bay. After bankruptcy in 2010, the floor was restored with recovered wood panelling, doors and floors, and in 2014 became the Alto Valparaíso coworking space.

The building is located in Valparaíso's urban center and is easily accessible on foot from the port area. Visiting during daylight allows you to see the architectural details clearly and appreciate how it relates to the surrounding neighborhood.

The rear of the building was designed as a retaining wall against landslides from Cerro Panteón, hiding the view of Cementerio N°1, the city's oldest cemetery. Cartoonist Lukas nicknamed it the "rascacerros" (skyscraper-hills).