The Bicentenario Park (Spanish: , literally "Bicentennial Park"), is one of the largest parks of the city of
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
, Chile. The park was designed by the Chilean architect Teodoro Fernández after winning the official design competition in 1998, and the first phase opened its doors in 2007.
History
The Bicentennial Park is the result of the public competition called in 1998 by the
City Council of Vitacura to establish a strategic plan that would organize the landscape and urban development of what was then known as the ''Parque de Las Américas'' ("Park of the Americas"), located on the banks of the
Mapocho River
The River Mapocho () ( Mapudungun: ''Mapu chuco'', "water that penetrates the land") is a river in Chile. It flows from its source in the Andes mountains onto the west and divides Chile's capital Santiago in two.
Course
The Mapocho begins at the ...
.
The winning proposal was led by Chilean architect
Teodoro Fernández. Construction began in 2006, and it was inaugurated in two stages: the first, covering 18 hectares, was opened to the public in 2007. Then, in November 2011, the second and final phase was inaugurated, whose design was also led by the same architecture and landscaping team.
After its inauguration, the park became part of the network of public parks that extends continuously along the south bank of the Mapocho River, connecting the
Parque de la Familia,
Parque de Los Reyes,
Parque Forestal
Parque Forestal is an urban park in the city of Santiago, Chile. The park was created on reclaimed land from the Mapocho River and is located in the historical downtown of Santiago, west of Plaza Baquedano and east of Estación Mapocho
Estaci ...
, Parque Providencia, Parque Titanium and the Parque Monseñor Escrivá de Balaguer.
Features
The park has at its central core the Civic Center of Vitacura, a complex that concentrates the public services of the namesake
commune. Moreover, a restaurant designed by
Smiljan Radic marks its eastern entrance, along two artificial lakes, expansive grassy areas, a variety of local trees, and programmed spaces for leisure activities, rest, and family walks.
References
External links
{{Commons category, Parque Bicentenario, Vitacura
Urban public parks
Parks in Santiago, Chile