Tutuquén | Archmotion

During the reconstruction of a police headquarter of Curicó city, Central Valley of Chile, workers came across the discovery of an indigenous cemetery dating back more than 10,500 years, the oldest ceremonial space in South America, one of the most ancient of the world.

Eduwik Architecture Excellence Awards 2022
Second Award | Cultural (Concept)

Project Name: Tutuquén
Project Category: Cultural
Studio Name: Archmotion
Design Team: José Miguel Mardones Mardones
Area: 5.000m2
Year: 2015
Location: Curicó, Chile
Consultants: None
Photography Credits: José Miguel Mardones Mardones

Organized in clusters, 4 occupations are evidenced in different prehistoric periods (paleoindian, archaic, early potter, late intermediate) each separated by thousands of years, generating new hypotheses in pre-Hispanic occupations and a mysticism in the use of this space. The archaeological resource offers a complex collection, bringing together human remains with cranial deformations, ceramics, textiles, tools, zoomorphic remains from different spaces and an interesting ritual in the burial of their deceased. Despite this finding, the site is currently completely abandoned and the collection is distributed in different places due to the lack of regional infrastructure that allows its protection and promotion.

This is where architecture appears as a practice that solves this deficit, proposing three infrastructures that allow harmonious development by providing scientific, historical, cultural, social and economic knowledge.

1.- In-Situ Contemplation Center in the place of the discovery that allows to protect the space, as well as understand the territorial context of its occupation, and also activate greater archaeological prospecting, considering that only a small part of the place was studied, where eventually there could be more resources.

2.- Archaeological Research Center that allows local scientific development, considering that in the region there are no infrastructures that allow research and protection of this and other resources, the collection should be transferred to other cities, the region losing its archaeological heritage.

3.- Museum of Origins, which allows the exhibition and promotion of this and other resources, especially in the city where it was found that it does not have a museum or cultural center.

In this way, it is possible to implement a true cultural agenda that not only transcends locally, providing scientific research, education, history, infrastructure and tourism, as well as the enhancement of pre-Columbian cultures, especially in these times of contingency as a cultural tool that contribution to dialogue in the current indigenous conflict.