Edificio Oberpaur, Modern commercial building in downtown Santiago, Chile.
Edificio Oberpaur is a concrete building with curved facades at its corner intersection in downtown Santiago. Continuous horizontal windows and clean geometric lines define its structure, with retail spaces occupying the street level and office areas on the upper floors.
Architects Sergio Larraín García-Moreno and Jorge Arteaga completed this structure in 1929 as Chile's first modernist building. The completion marked a turning point in how commercial and office spaces were designed throughout the country.
The building's curved corner and horizontal window lines reflect European modernist design brought to Santiago's downtown streets. These features remain visually distinctive in how locals and visitors experience the urban environment around it.
The building is easily accessible in Santiago's central business district and reachable from various nearby transit lines. You can explore the street-level shops or view the architecture from outside, and the corner location makes it simple to see the entire structure from a single vantage point.
The building housed Chile's first escalator, completely changing how shoppers moved through retail spaces. This innovation became a model for commercial buildings in other South American cities.
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