Responses by Blok Design

Background: MUT (Mercado Urbano Tobalaba) is a multibuilding project based in Santiago, Chile. This vast and visionary project is shifting the way we understand the city of Santiago by integrating green space, architecture, culture, workspaces and diverse retail based on the values of community engagement and sustainability.

Reasoning: We needed to ensure we designed an identity honoring MUT’s sense of place, its cultural nuances and its community, while reflecting the influence that Chile radiates in the world with its expansive vision. Taking cues from the Chilean landscapes and textiles, the local iconography and colors inspired the typography and palette. The identity is fluid with a unique dimensionality, emphasizing the project’s expansiveness of offerings and its transformative value within the city.

Challenges: Designing inclusively and thoughtfully for many different people who cross paths daily at this very specific junction. Connecting directly to the metro station and being at the heart of the city means that MUT is a place where Santiago can converge in many different ways.

Favorite details: Being able to see our smooth collaborative vision come to fruition with the talented individuals at Territoria and working on a project rooted in values of community engagement, sustainability and equality—this was, in and of itself, the true experience.

Visual influences: Chile is a bountiful source of inspiration, from the colorful markets to the warmth of its people, from contemporary artistry to its breathtaking landscape. It was the backdrop that inspired every decision we made.

Anything new: We learned so much—about Chile, its history, its contemporary dynamics and influences, its artists and thinkers shaping a city in constant growth. Beyond that, the project itself challenges and embraces new and imperative ways of thinking about sustainability in architecture and city planning and its ability to reclaim and reshape public space.

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