Zapallar

Atardeceeres

































Hernán Precht Bañados

Finalizando

ENGLISH SUMMARY 50 years ago, that let a sacred time to an everyday After my last book on Isla de reading. Pascua, or Rapa Nui, I was Years later, as a scholar, as asked for a new edition, an academic, some of the translated, or at least time I spent in England and bilingual. Edimburgh, with those short Such idea came from those daylights, reading was one of readers whom downloaded the most finest companies the books for free, on ever. Amazon, or other couple of You should be adviced, that places, where they are my books are a sort of a posted. conversation. In this particular case, I did Needless to say, that I am explain, in the very first not a pro, so the purpose on pages, about a huge book, every book I´ve wrote, is to that has wonderful show and share an esthetic photographs, by a well and approach to my inner renown chilean artist : Max experiences; and those Donoso. periods of time are like The book itself, took twelve grabbing my soul memories. years to see the light. There In this particular case, you can find a precise history Zapallar, where one of the of Zapallar in both most finest chilean languages. It´s absolutely architects, left great pieces of wothless to go deeper on the architecture and urban same topics. planning as Josué Smith This is a book with my Solar, needed my humble pictures and my memories. tribute. They go, from those years in When I strawl through wild Las Cruces, in my parents paths or lovely streets, in house by the beach, with my Rocas de Santo Domingo, mothers library, and the time Las Cruces, Zapallar or that run in a different pace, Papudo, you must know that I am under the poetics of Smith Solar & Son. 270 Hernán Precht Bañados

“You employ stone, wood what is practical or and concrete, and withn descriptive. They are a these materials you build mathematical creation of houses and palaces. That is your mind. They are a construction. Ingenuity is at language of Architecture. By work. the use of raw materials and But suddenly you touch my starting from conditions more heart, you do me good, I am or less utilitarian, you have happy and I say: “This is established certain beautiful”. That is relationships which have Architecture. Art enters in. aroused my emotions. My house is practical. I thank you, as I might thank “ This is Architecture ” Railway engineers, or the Telephone service. You have From the book “Vers une architecture” not touched my heart. (1923) But suppose that walls rise towards heaven in such a Le Corbusier reveals a way that I am moved. I “mathematical creation of perceive your intentions. the mind” as the language Your mood has been gentle, of Architecture capable of brutal, charming or noble. arousing emotions by The stones you have erected phrasing relationships tell me so. You fix me to the between shapes.A Poem place and my eyes regard it. without Words They behold something The idea that written which expresses a thought. A language conveys something thought which reveals itself more than just meaningless without word or sound, but scribbles dates back to at solely by means of shapes least 3500 B.C. However, it which stand in a certain was an ancient Roman poet relationship to one another. by the name of Quintus These shapes are such that Horatius Flaccus (known as they are clearly revealed in Horace) who said that “a light. The relationships picture is a poem without between them have not words”. necessarily any reference to This words should help understand my pictures. And the purpose of this book. 271

Sated, we continued our journey They sit amid a network of winding streets lined with cypress to the coast itself, a stress-free and eucalyptus trees, connecting excursion even in our tiny car. to a central plaza, which leads The Ruta del Mar led us to the down to the sea. town of Zapallarr and its narrow Descendants of the original main street, which is lined with a families still own many of the collection of shops offering homes here, and in fact recently vacation essentials: a wine store, united to create a land trust to a small supermarket, a bakery prevent development on a large and a place that sells designer chunk they collectively own at sunglasses and bathing suits. Off the edge of town. that strip, though, young children stroll the quiet streets with their Patrons waiting for a table at El friends or pedal by on bikes, Chiringuito restaurant, where the while adults greet one another as catch of the day is often what’s if they are all part of one large on the menu.Credit...Fernando extended family. Rodriguez for The New York The history of Zapallar explains a Times good deal about the intimate feel of this beachfront community. It “Santiago is one of the busiest was settled a century ago by Don cities in South America,” he said. Olegario Ovalle Vicuña, the son “People come here to slow of an affluent local landowner, down. It is casual, but still chic.” who, after visiting French resort Our hotel there embodied that destinations like Deauville, dichotomy. Hotel Isla Seca, Biarritz and Nice, decided he which from the outside looks wanted to build out his own, almost like a vacation home, is a more modest version of the boutique hotel right at the edge French Riviera in Chile. of the Ruta del Mar. It offers 41- Zapallar already had a nearly rooms, eight of them with grand perfect horseshoe-shaped, semi- sea views. It has a perfectly protected harbor. Mr. Vicuña manicured backyard with a lawn, turned it into a beachside a swimming pool and a community by offering land to collection of chaise longues, friends and relatives, on the occupied by an interesting cross- condition that they build their section of guests from Santiago, own houses within a couple of from Europe and a few from the years. The result is a series of United States. The common architecturally distinct homes — areas looked more like a living most with impeccably room than a hotel lobby. maintained flower gardens. 272 Eric Lipton for the New York Times

The surrounding area was far more starts even before you enter, as a than you’d expect of a typical valet crams Land Rovers and Audis backyard, though. From the hotel’s into the small beachside lot. But it is rear exit a pathway leads directly as convivial as can be. The night through the tall pines, down the that my wife and I dined there, we short hill to the beach. From there, watched the patrons exchange we spent several hours one morning kisses with friends who spilled in as walking along a trail built right at we tucked into a delicious meal — the oceanfront called La Rambla, grilled corvina, a local fish that which in some segments is a tastes like a cross between mahi constructed stone walkway, and in mahi and snapper, prepared with others simply unadorned giant black butter, capers and lemon. boulders, the Pacific Ocean waves Cachagua, the town next door, has crashing below. an even more laid-back feel, with a Those waters stay relatively cold, less ostentatious display of wealth. because of the so-called Humbolt The small seaside roads in the current, which starts in northwest village have been left unpaved, Antarctica and passes along the even if high-end imports travel them coast of Chile, meaning that even in amid the somewhat smaller but still the summer the water temperature $1-million-plus beach houses. does not get much warmer than Cachagua has its own wonderful about 60 degrees, similar to beaches, with a slightly rougher surf summertime temperatures in the than those at Zapallar, and a tiny Atlantic Ocean in Maine. It was fine island just off the shore is home to a when I ran in for a quick, brisk dip, small national park that serves as a but not comfortable for a long sanctuary for thousands of swim. But the beaches themselves Humboldt penguins and other are pristine and the hot summer birds, all visible from the shore. We afternoons combined with the cool spent an afternoon walking on the ocean breezes make for perfect Rambla, which continues from beach weather. Zapallar through Cachagua, spying Fishermen still work the local on the colony of penguins and waters, their small, weather-beaten admiring the broad, windswept boats tied up in the Zapallar bay, beach. and their daily catch is for sale in an oceanside shack. Just at the edge of the fish market is El Chiringuito, a squat, wooden structure that on summer nights is packed with a Santiago holiday crowd, eating a good share of what had been caught that day, with the tables split between an outdoor deck and inside. People-watching 273

Here are our thoughts, The sky overarches here, we travelers' thoughts, feel the moving (in a wavy Here not the land, firm land, pattern) deck beneath our alone appears, may then by feet, them be said, We feel the long pulsation, The sky overarches here, we flow in and out of endless feel the moving (in a wavy movement, pattern) deck beneath our The tones of hidden mystery, feet, the unclear and huge We feel the long pulsation, suggestions of the flow in and out of endless (salt) watery world, the movement, liquid-flowing syllables, The tones of hidden mystery, The perfume, the faint the unclear and huge creaking of the cordage, the suggestions of the sad rhythm, (salt) watery world, the The endless view and the liquid-flowing syllables, (line in the distance where The perfume, the faint the Earth and sky meet) far creaking of the cordage, the and dim are all here, sad rhythm, And this is ocean's poem. The endless view and the (line in the distance where Walt Whitmanm. the Earth and sky meet) far and dim are all here, And this is ocean's poem.ere are our thoughts, travelers' thoughts, Here not the land, firm land, alone appears, may then by them be said, 274 Hernán Precht Bañados

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Hernán Precht Bañados For this purposes, Mr. Precht, is an architect ,M.A.Ed., and ( Enero 1948 ) estudio en el former Dean of the Faculty of Saint George´s College y Architecture of UNAB. posteriormente recibió su título de arquitecto en la During a long period of his Pontificia Universidad life, he has devoted to produce Católica de Chile. and host TV programs, as well Paralelamente sigue con su writing for different extensa labor en newspapers and magazines of comunicaciones. our country, on issues related to Travel & Culture. Su trayectoria en televisión va entre 1985 - 2010, en programas As a photographer, he is s an de arquitectura, culturales, y absolutely amateur. No Reflex de entrevistas, además de la cameras have been used in this permanente colaboración en book. medios escritos chilenos, In the first pages of this book, you´ll find some other references, of his other publications.