It is the most modern performing arts cultural center in the country, with free and universal access. It maintains a huge national & International music, dance and theater billboard, located at the dynamic Lastarria neighborhood, recognized because of its gastronomic and cultural offer. the space was built on 22 thousand square meters that integrate transparency and connectivity to the city, it holds ten showrooms for theater, dance, circus, chamber, classic and popular music, visual arts, pop art and conferences and a library with rooms for study besides 5 squares, it counts with café, restaurant, library, book shop, and antiques collectors fair.
History
It is located in a historical building of Santiago that was inaugurated in 1972 as headquarter of UNCTAD III, the third version of the conference about progress and development by ONU, where they talked about poverty and how to overcome it. It was built under the government of Salvador Allende in a record time of 275 days, this was a milestone for latin america about modern architecture and constructivist utopia. in its design and construction the citizens were widely participated that later used it as a meeting point under the name of Centro cultural Metropolitano Gabriela Mistral.
After the military coup in september 1973, the military council closed this place and transformed into the headquarters under the name of Diego Portales Building, with the return of democracy in 1989 the building became an event and convention center, the backyard tower held the defense ministry.
starting 2006 a fire destroyed part of the construction, which pushed Michelle Bachelet government to rethink its original purpose and give it back to the citizenship. It was rebuilt and was rebaptized in September 2010 as Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center , GAM, to assume the history of its center and project from there its relationship with the citizens and its environment.
Architecture:
This building is distinguished by the continuous facades that go from the absolutely opened transparent (libraries, Rehearsal rooms) to the dark and closed ( music and scenic arts).
it´s integrated by two buildings that hold and represent the main work areas, in the center: the library and spectacle room; and the rooms for scenic arts instruction and in music ( rehearsal rooms, exhibitions and seminars). The spaces separate them form a covered square given to the city, which invites to live in a building that blends into routine.
the scenic equipment is unique in the country, and has incorporated audiovisual projection and lightning elements with the most advanced technology of this moment
Avenida Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins, 227, Santiago.