A metal box office called Proingas
Located in the Enea Industrial Complex in Santiago, Chile, this building accommodates the administration offices and a showroom for Proingas, an industrial machinery reseller. The technological importance of the company, together with climate conditions of the site, were taken into account to define the design parameters of the project.
The building is composed of three parts: a two story L-shape volume that contains the offices and storage spaces completing the north and west sides of the building, a large double-height showroom space, and an exterior permeable expanded metal skin that provides solar control to the north and west facades.
The offices are organized in the second level along a hallway that looks down to the showroom.
The layout of the offices is separated in two parts, one being a flexible open space and the other, a series of administration offices. The showroom is a large storage and exhibition space for the machinery, that is visually connected to the offices.
Given the site’s dry climate and its exposure to major solar radiation from the north and the west, solar control was extremely important for this project. Therefore, a stretched expanded metal skin with 20mm spacing was designed to provide shade and allow the proper ventilation of the office volume. This skin is supported by a steel structure that gives shape to the faceted facade.
When you pass by , you can’t help stopping and staring at it –a big metal box is in front of you .You may see the internal structure of it . Also, you may be attracted by its unique appearance and expanded metal facades. Someone probably says :‘I wanna get into it and try to work in it for a whole day.’
