Schematic of East Santiago

This full-day architectural odyssey takes place in East Santiago. Diego, a professional architect, unravels the capital's modern history by exposing marvels that have shaped the contemporary identity of Chilean architecture. The sites visited are not part of the conventional tourist circuit—these buildings and sites reveal the deeper identity of Chilean architecture and culture at a higher level. Now home to some of Santiago’s most developed districts, this eastern zone began to consolidate in the 1960s under the garden city model. You will visit the Benedictine Monastery of Las Condes—a landmark of modern architecture—along with other contemporary works that engage with the natural landscape in energy-efficient ways, such as Vitacura's Tánica complex and the Patricia Ready Art Gallery. The outing includes lunch at Mestizo Restaurant, a walk through the Bicentenario Park, offering panoramic views of the district's skyline, and a viewpoint covering most sites visited during the tour.

This experience is a unique opportunity to access spaces that are not part of the typical tourist trail. By exploring the architectural identity of Las Condes and Vitacura, you are exposed to the modern face of Santiago—by one of those responsible for what stands in this basin between the mountains. Rather than focusing solely on individual works, Diego’s tour is conceived as a spatial narrative that unfolds in dialogue with the geographic and cultural landscape of Santiago’s valley. You will gain a rigorous understanding of how Chilean architecture engages with its natural environment, culture, and topography, while addressing contemporary challenges of urban growth and sustainability. Through curated visits, on-site discussions, and guided reflections, you’ll learn how the country’s most remarkable architectural works emerge from the tension between modern ideals and local realities—an approach that makes this journey both intellectually engaging and deeply rooted in place.

Diego Baloian is an architect holding a degree from the Universidad Finis Terrae and a Master's in Cultural Heritage from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC). As the founding partner at DBG Architecture and Massantiago, his work focuses on architectural design, the restoration of heritage buildings, and urban planning. He has led and participated in projects and seminars in Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Switzerland, and Hungary. Diego has also organized conferences and exhibitions on Latin American architecture in collaboration with Guiding Architects Network, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH). In the academic field, he has worked with communities on research and heritage valorization projects, implementing collaborative methodologies across diverse cultural and territorial contexts.

Comfortable clothes and footwear. Sun protection: hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Small, discreet bag for essentials. Bottled water. Passport or other means of identification, such as a driver's licence or cédula de identidad.