Architect and owner Mauricio Fuentes tapped myriad modern inspirations as well as his family for striking design that lets guests see and feel the nature around them
While The Brutalist made a splash with success at the box office and Academy Awards for Adrien Brody’s performance as Bauhaus-trained architect László Tóth and other things, the big screen isn’t the only place to see what Brutalism is about. For a first-hand glimpse of the bare-bones style of architecture, travel no further than Hotel AWA along the banks of Lake Llanqihue in Puerto Varas, Chile.
As fashioned by owners and architects Mauricio Fuentes and Jimena Hernández, Hotel AWA speaks a new architectural language for the Lakes District of southern Chile. Rather than imitate the past, that language reinterprets Brutalism through modern techniques and materials, embracing functionality and a direct expression of construction.
Key Brutalist elements, including reinforced concrete, a steel framework, exposed concrete slabs and staircases, and broad panes of glass, are as integral to the structure of Hotel AWA as they are eye candy for guests. Taken together, the hotel casts a strong, sculptural presence amid the natural beauty of its lakeside setting while contrasting with the traditional architectural styles of the region, which tend more toward German colonial heritage.
Hotel AWA is also designed sustainably, the better to coexist with its environment. It harnesses solar energy and utilizes locally sourced materials, for instance, which minimizes its impact while maximizing the natural experience for guests.
The vision for Hotel AWA was primarily led by Mr. Fuentes through his Santiago-based design firm, Arquigestión. Fuentes had been developing the project since his years studying architecture at Universidad de Chile in the 80s, drawing inspiration from everything from small French palaces that have been converted to hotels to Hotel Antumalal, a modernist hotel in Pucón, known, among many things, for hosting Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1968. Fuentes also drew from the modernist works of the designer Le Corbusier and architect and designer Mies van der Rohe, who emphasized functionality, structural clarity, and the interplay between materials and open space.
Even still, notes the Fuentes’ namesake son Mauricio, who serves as General Manager of Hotel AWA, “the architecture was really a collaborative effort within our family – design as well as construction.” Everyone – father, mother, and three children – was involved in the project, from conceptualization to the building process. “We all had our hands in the construction, and there were a lot of tasks to fulfill.”
More than anything, Mauricio continues, the architecture of Hotel AWA was conceived to maximize views of Lake Llanquihue and the glorious Osorno Volcano behind it. “The views are a main driver for our guests, and the design was intended for them to not only see but deeply feel nature around us. We want guests to wake up to the sunrise behind Osorno and feel the rain hitting the windows as Patagonian storms shift colors and movements of the lake.”
Rates from $650 B&B rate per room based on double occupancy. All-inclusive rate: $1,900 per person for 2 nights.
