Cutting and Fitting: Architectural Thinking through Photomontage at the UCV Institute of Architecture, Chile
| Título | Cutting and Fitting: Architectural Thinking through Photomontage at the UCV Institute of Architecture, Chile |
|---|---|
| Año | 2026 |
| Autor | Raúl Castro, Óscar Andrade |
| Tipo | Capítulo de Libro, Proceeding |
| Ciudad | Turín, Italia |
| Páginas | 59-68 |
| Palabras Clave | photomontage, graphic logics, josé vial armstrong, architectural pedagogy, design reasoning |
| Código | ISBN: 978-84-09-81684-2 |
| URL | https://criticall.es/ |
| Carreras | Arquitectura |
Abstract:
This paper examines the potential of photomontage as a tool for material and spatial thinking at the UCV Institute of Architecture (Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile). While photomontage occupied a central place in early twentieth-century architectural representation, this study argues that at the UCV Institute, it functioned not only as a representational device but as a graphic operation consistent with the Institute’s architectural position, characterised by attention to lived experience and the observation of place.
The research combines historical and graphic analysis of archival material through four case studies developed between the 1950s and the 1970s: the Santa Clara Church (1954), the Naval School (1956–57), the Avenida del Mar urban project (1969), and the San Luis Urban Development (1969–74). Particular attention is given to the role of architect José Vial Armstrong in consolidating photomontage as a methodological practice within the Institute.
The results indicate that photomontage fostered distinctive forms of spatial awareness by activating specific graphic logics of cutting and fitting. Through these operations, architectural reasoning was structured around relationships between building, site, geography, and acts of inhabitation. Rather than depicting finished solutions, photomontage enabled the testing and clarification of spatial intentions within a sequential process combining photographic recording, model-making, and calibrated recomposition.
The discussion concludes that photomontage at the UCV Institute of Architecture operated simultaneously as a device for architectural thinking, a pedagogical platform grounded in collective studio work, and a persuasive medium. As a pedagogical practice, its production mobilised students and professors across different studios, making representation inseparable from design learning. As a persuasive tool, photomontage made architectural positions publicly legible and inserted them into broader debates about the city and its destiny. In this sense, photomontage emerges as a critical architectural medium that bridges design reasoning, education, and public engagement through the construction of images.