An introduction to our third year Directed Study Abroad Studio, focusing on the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile. A short design charette assignment, tasked to create a monument to one of three primary natural resources in the area, earth - sky - water. Mapping of the site of intervention at different scales and thorough background research were an integral part of creating a basis of knowledge on this new and unique landscape.
Created using Adobe Illustrator.
atacama desert - site mapping
The Loa River
At 440 km long, the Loa is the country’s longest river and is the main watercourse of the Atacama Desert. It begins in the Andes mountains, and runs through the towns of Calama, Chiu Chiu, Quillagua, Caspana, Aiquina, and Toconce, where most population in the Atacama is found.
The banks of the river have been inhabited since early times, but presently, mining companies pollute the river making the water that was previously used to farm shrimp unusable. This over-exploitation and pollution by mining companies causes social, economic, and environmental issues for indigenous peoples living along the Loa.
The banks of the river have been inhabited since early times, but presently, mining companies pollute the river making the water that was previously used to farm shrimp unusable. This over-exploitation and pollution by mining companies causes social, economic, and environmental issues for indigenous peoples living along the Loa.
In 2000, the State declared the availability of rights to surface water in the river Loa exhausted.
The Sloman Dam & Village of Quillagua
Hydroelectric dam built on the Loa river between 1905 and 1911 by German businessman Henry Sloman to supply energy to 5 saltpeter works. The dam was in operation until 1954, when it was later used to control irrigation for farmers in the Quillagua Valley. Ancient saltpeter mining was blamed for the pollution of the Loa in Quillagua, and the river’s biotic death led to the socioeconomic decline of the village (the true cause was copper mining operations). The dam used to be visited by the townspeople often, but few people now live in Quillagua, with only 90 L/s of water available to the people there.
Privatization of Water in Chile
The water crisis in the Atacama Desert is not only related to its natural conditions of biophysical scarcity, but on political, social, and economic factors and regulations. Chile had a vast abundance of water in the south, but its arid northern region has very little water availability, a vast disparity. Since the enactment of the Water Code of 1981, by the military dictatorship of Pinochet, water property privatization transformed it from a vital resource into merchandise for profit, particularly by mining companies. To estimate, the water allocation for mining companies is up to four times greater than that used for domestic consumption. Mining companies exploit their rights to water use in the northern zone, impacting the environment and indigenous local communities.
“In the mining sector, water rights are also held by private companies, mostly multinationals, which have accrued rights of surface and groundwater in areas of high water scarcity in the north of the country. In the case of the Antofagasta Region for example, mining uses over one thousand litres per second of surface water and has almost 100% of the groundwater rights”
The Legend of The Alicanto
In Chilean mythology, the Alicanto is a large nocturnal bird of the Atacama Desert. Legend says its wings shine at night with metallic colours, and it eats gold, silver, copper, and other precious ores.
According to the story, a miner that follows an Alicanto without being noticed by the bird can find rich mineral outcrops or treasures such as an entierro (buried treasure). If the Alicanto discovers that it’s being followed, it will turn off the shining of its wings, and scuttle away in the darkness of the night. If the miner is not of “good heart” the Alicanto will guide the miner off a cliff, and the miner will not be able to see the cliff in time because of the “intensity of the darkness”.
It is said that it was an Alicanto that guided Juan Godoy to the rich silver outcrops of Chañarcillo on May 16, 1832, sparking the Chilean silver rush.
Alicanto Pavilion
This memorial is located floating in the reservoir of Sloman Dam, a symbol of water use and mining company power in Northern Chile. It serves as a reminder of the environmental and political impacts of industry in the Atacama Desert, and, like the Alicanto, is both a warning and a symbol of hope.
The floating pavillion takes the form of a bird’s wings, spiraling around a central porthole revealing the water below. A wire mesh material for the “wings” allows for transparency in the daytime and metallic illumination at night, representing the nocturnal Alicanto and its shining wings. Anchoring to the bottom allows for stability of the platform, as well as movement with water levels.
