Founded in 1950, in the city of Talcahuano, CAP Steel is the main Chilean steelmaker, offering a variety of steel products for industrial, mining and building companies across the country. The enterprise, also known as "Siderúrgica Huachipato," forms part of the CAP Group of Enterprises, the chief producer of iron minerals and pellets along the American Pacific Coast, as well as the main steel producer in Chile and the most important steel manufacturer in the Southern Cone.
Through its more than 65 years of history, CAP has been pioneering the responsible development of its activity, promoting a respectful relationship and one of mutual benefit for the communities in which it operates, always innovating with new products and processes that have contributed to the progress of the country.
As part of its constant care for the development of high standard products, CAP Steel has developed a series of initiatives to promote the proper use of steel and its advantages in construction and design. As Chile is one of the most seismic countries in the world, it has high standards for its construction regulations and steel is considered a key material for “seismic-resistant” buildings.
The CAP Contest for Students of Architecture is a clear example of what the company has achieved to be successfully connected with its environment. This initiative, which consists of an annual contest of preliminary architectural design for students, started in 1986 and this year launches its 30th version (XXX).
The CAP Contest has accomplished its objective over time, serving as an effective apprenticeship space for the uses and advantages of steel, and consolidating itself as an annual milestone for all Chilean Schools of Architecture. In addition, it has been able to cross beyond the Chilean borders by means of an international version of the contest among countries that constitute the Latin American Steel Association, Alacero.
In Chile, the CAP Contest has been directed by distinguished national architects and sponsored by the Chilean Association of Architects and the Association of Architectural Offices, with the support of a jury integrated by first level professionals. On the other hand, many of the students who have participated in the contest winning teams are now prominent architects, including Smiljan Radic, who was part of the team that won the first version of the contest in 1986.
CAP Contest XXX: A Cultural Center
The theme of this year's competition is the architectural design of a “Cultural Center.” Due to the development and dynamic progress of cities within an exacerbated economic environment, the cultural needs of the population are often ignored. An important effort has been made in Chile to fulfill this requirement, but there are some cities where the cultural development has not kept pace with the rhythm of the country’s economic growth. The facilities for a cultural exchange are reduced to commercial centers or theaters and art galleries in marginal quarters, creating a vacuum when it comes to more inclusive cultural spaces: contemporary and/or avant-gardist integrating different disciplines.
The architect Alvaro Donoso, Director in charge of the 30th CAP Contest, points out the following: “From this analysis we propose for the 30th CAP Contest 2016 for Students of Architecture a theme dealing with culture, for the equipment of the city and integral development of its inhabitants: a Cultural Center located in any city of regional or provincial character that enables the enlargement of the existing cultural infrastructure, that gathers together the inhabitants of all ages, and that it be a motor of organization and social cohesion and, above all, that serves as a tool of spiritual progress to dignify the people”.
Title
Open Call: CAP Steel's 30th Contest for Architecture StudentsType
Competition Announcement (Ideas)Website
Organizers
CAP SteelRegistration Deadline
May 06, 2016 11:30 PMSubmission Deadline
July 22, 2016 11:30 PMPrice
FreeCountry Restrictions
Chile