Public Space Renewal of the Plaza de Armas de Cabrero
Cabrero, Biobío Region · Jun. 2020 – 2021 · Public Space · Built
Renewal of the Plaza de Armas de Cabrero as an integrative civic space, with a boulevard leading to the new municipal library and a central pergola that organizes community life.
- Category
- Public Space
- Client
- SERVIU – Biobío Region
- Collaborators
- Catalina Jerez, Luis Díaz, Ignacio Vergara
- Location
- Cabrero, Biobío Region
- Region
- Biobío Region
- Area
- 8.498 m2
- Project year
- Jun. 2020 – 2021
- Construction year
- 2024
- Status
- Built
The renewal of the Plaza de Armas de Cabrero is conceived as an integrative civic space project that strengthens local identity, improves accessibility, activates the neighborhood economy, and reinforces community ties, through a sustainable and technologically efficient design that engages with its heritage memory and urban surroundings.
Paving, Accessibility, and Civic Boulevard
A comprehensive replacement of the internal pathways and walkways is proposed, using durable, low-maintenance materials that guarantee barrier-free routes and ramps for people with reduced mobility. To strengthen the connection between cultural facilities and public space, Vial Street is transformed into a civic-cultural boulevard linking the plaza with the new Municipal Library, also integrating with the route of the Cabrero–Monte Águila bike path.
Resilient Landscaping and Central Pergola
The proposal respects and preserves the existing tree cover, complementing it with low-water-use native species and drip irrigation systems. At the center of the plaza, a new pergola rises to reinforce its role as an urban agora: beneath its shelter, public restrooms are integrated; along its edges, rest areas facing the bank and the library are reorganized; and at one end, a stepped amphitheater offers a stage for performances and assemblies.
Sustainability and Citizen Participation
The new design combines traditional materials with contemporary technology. Through workshops and consultations, residents decided on the relocation of monuments — such as the bust of Prat — and the addition of new sculptures, in a project backed by plans, photographs, monographs, and 3D renderings that ensure a coherent, inclusive, and harmonious proposal.
2024 Construction
The design for the renewed Plaza de Armas de Cabrero has now been realized on the ground: following a diagnostic process, citizen workshops, and approval from Serviu, construction was completed in November 2024 with a regional investment of $1,231 million. The official inauguration took place on November 13, 2024, when the community was able for the first time to walk the new pavements, enjoy the pedestrian boulevard leading to the library, and experience the new urban amphitheater and inclusive play equipment.
