Dezeen Magazine

An introduction to Lisbon Triennale Début Award winner Umwelt

Chilean studio Umwelt has been awarded the Début Award for early career architects at the Lisbon Triennale. To celebrate, we take a look back at the projects to come out of the studio so far.

Ignacio Garcia Partarrieu (1984) and Arturo Scheidegger (1983) set up Santiago-based Umwelt in 2011.

They were awarded the Lisbon Triennale Millennium bcp Début Award and a prize of €5,000 during the opening week of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale – a city-wide festival that kicked off on 5 October 2016.

Umwelt saw off competition from 140 other young practices to win the award, which was judged by a jury including Triennale co-curator André Tavares, architect Tetsuo Kondo and Dezeen columnist Mimi Zeiger.

Alongside built work, the studio has also been recognised for its research, including two projects with architect Pedro Alonso – one focusing on the annihilation of the Antarctic and another exploring the integration of natural and artificial structures in South America's Atacama Desert.

"The body of work already done by this promising duo combines built projects with highly relevant research work," said Tavares.

"There are links to be found between their critical look at the landscape and territory, as well as a very strong connection between their conceptual thinking and the realisation of their projects," he added.

The award was introduced at the third edition of the Lisbon Architecture Triennale in 2013, and recognises the work of architects and studios under the age of 35. The inaugural award went to Jimenez Lai of Chicago architecture studio Bureau Spectacular.

At this year's Triennale, an award for lifetime achievement was given to the more established Parisian studio, Lacaton & Vassal.

Here's our top five picks from Umwelt's oeuvre to date:


Transmission Central, Santiago, Chile

Transmission centre by Umwelt
Transmission Central, Santiago, Chile

Partarrieu and Scheidegger used a grid of concrete to encase this television transmission centre on summit of San Cristóbal Hill in their home city Santiago.

Find out more about Transmission Central >


National History Museum Expansion proposal, Santiago, Chile

National History Museum Expansion proposal, Santiago, Chile
National History Museum Expansion proposal, Santiago, Chile

The Chilean studio received an honourable mention for this competition entry to extend Santiago's National History Museum. The proposal features a series of V-shaped pilotis that support a glazed gallery.


Ambient 30_60, Santiago, Chile

Ambient 30_60 pavilion by Umwelt
Ambient 30_60, Santiago, Chile

White steel frames outlined artworks, seating and small trees beneath a series of skylights in this temporary pavilion, which the studio designed for the Young Architects Program in Santiago.

Find out more about the Ambient 30_60 pavilion >


Dojo, Colina, Chile

lisbon-triennale-debut-awards-umwelt-architecture-news_dezeen_1704_col_1
Dojo, Colina, Chile

Umwelt added a pool-side pavilion, terrace and meditation room to a property in the Chilean city Colina. The huge, black canopy of the pavilion shades a deck and seat positioned at one end of the pool.


Integra Building, Osorno, Chile

Integra Offices by Umwelt
Integra Building, Osorno, Chile

Partarrieu and Arturo Scheidegger modelled this corrugated metal and concrete office block in Santiago on Le Corbusier's Maison Dom-ino prototype for customisable housing. They adapted the modernist architect's slab-and-frame construction model to create unobstructed floor plans.

Find out more about the Integra Building>