Humanized Brutalism | ECLAC Building in Chile

AUTHOR: Luisa Afanador

A restless mind about the city

NAME OF PROJECT: Building of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)

ARCHITECTS: Emilio Duhart

PHOTOGRAPH: Wikimedia, Fabian Dejtiar, ECLAC United Nations

LOCATION: Santiago, Chile

YEAR: 1966

M2: 11,500 m2

In the 1960s, Latin America was undergoing a series of social, political, and cultural transformations that found a powerful channel of expression in architecture. Within this context, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) building, designed by architect Emilio Duhart in Santiago, Chile, emerged as an icon of Brutalism. At first glance, Brutalism might seem like a cold and dehumanized architectural style, but in reality, in Latin America, it became a means of expressing solidity, modernity, and resilience. How did a building conceived to house an international organization end up becoming a symbol of Latin American architecture? This article explores this question through an analysis of the ECLAC building, its historical context, and its enduring impact on the region's architectural landscape.

Brutalism emerged in postwar Europe as a response to the need to rebuild devastated cities. With austere materials, stark geometric forms, and an unadorned architectural language, it sought to reflect the building's structural truth. However, when this movement reached Latin America, it acquired a distinct character. Instead of representing devastation, Latin American brutalism came to symbolize the search for a unique identity, an architecture that evoked solidity in times of political and social instability.

In the 1960s, Chile was undergoing a period of rapid modernization. The ECLAC Building was conceived not only as an administrative center but also as a symbol of economic progress and regional integration. Emilio Duhart, influenced by Le Corbusier and European rationalism, adopted brutalism to give the building a monumentality that evoked strength and durability.

In a context of growing political tensions, the ECLAC Building became a conceptual refuge: a place where the structure itself conveyed solidity in the face of uncertainty. The massive volumes of reinforced concrete, the raw surfaces, and the straight lines created an imposing atmosphere that suggested institutional stability.

A Humanized Brutalism

Unlike European brutalism, many Latin American works, including the ECLAC Building, incorporated humanizing elements that softened the structural rigidity. Emilio Duhart implemented a series of techniques to integrate the building's monumentality with the human experience. The interior courtyards were designed not only as circulation spaces but also as areas for contemplation, where vegetation contrasts with the starkness of the concrete, creating a sense of refuge within the massive structure.

Furthermore, the raised gardens not only serve an aesthetic purpose but also act as natural ventilation spaces, helping to regulate the internal temperature in a building where concrete can retain heat. Duhart also designed large windows strategically placed to take advantage of natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting and visually connecting the interior spaces with the exterior landscape.

This integration of natural and structural elements makes the CEPAL Building an emblematic case of "humanized brutalism", where the monumentality of the concrete is softened by the incorporation of green spaces, rest areas and visual flows that invite contemplation and pause.

The ECLAC Building is defined not only by its interior but also by its relationship with the urban environment of Santiago. Located in a strategic area, it stands as a concrete monolith that contrasts sharply with the surrounding residential scale.  However, Duhart managed to mitigate this impact through a series of strategies that integrate the building with its context. The wide entrances, the perimeter green spaces, and the elevated gardens not only create a threshold between the urban and the institutional but also invite pedestrians to approach, to walk through, and to contemplate. This interaction between the built space and the public space redefines the perception of brutalism, presenting it not as a barrier but as an integrating element. Thus, the ECLAC Building acts as a bridge between the monumentality of its structure and the human scale of the surrounding urban environment.

In other Brutalist projects in Latin America, such as the National University of Engineering in Lima, Peru, and the Nonoalco-Tlatelolco Housing Complex in Mexico City, a similar attempt to balance monumentality with spaces for social interaction can be observed. While in Nonoalco-Tlatelolco, the expansive courtyards and recreational areas offer spaces for leisure within a dense urban environment, in Lima, the National University of Engineering utilizes exposed concrete structures that interact with green spaces, creating a dialogue between the solid and the ethereal. These examples reinforce the idea that Latin American Brutalist architecture not only sought to impose forceful forms but also to integrate spaces for encounter and connection with nature, maintaining a balance between the monumental and the human.

The CEPAL Building not only became a landmark of Brutalism in Chile, but also inspired generations of architects throughout Latin America. In the following decades, works such as the Central Bank Building in Caracas and the Tlatelolco Cultural Center in Mexico adopted Brutalist elements, reinterpreting its structural and aesthetic principles. However, as Brutalism was displaced by more ornamental styles in the 1980s, many of these buildings fell into disrepair or were undervalued.

Today, the ECLAC Building still stands, resisting the passage of time and reminding us that Latin American brutalism was much more than an architectural movement: it was a cry of identity in a region in search of stability.

Far from being a mere concrete block, the ECLAC Building in Santiago, Chile, embodies a pivotal historical moment for Latin America. In its structural solidity and monumental design, Emilio Duhart captured a vision of modernity and resilience that continues to resonate today. Is brutalism an obsolete style or a call to reflect on how we build our cities? Looking at the ECLAC Building, it becomes clear that straight lines and raw surfaces still have much to say about the history, identity, and future of Latin American architecture.

What other interpretations of brutalism in Latin America do you recognize? Leave your comments.