The building will be located at the corner of Av. Américo Vespucio Norte and Av. Presidente Riesco and will entail an estimated investment of USD 350 million.

The new corporate building will set milestones in multiple dimensions, notably for environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, contribution to the wider city and job quality for those employees who work there.

The new work centre will be built by Territoria, while the task of drawing up the concept drawings has been handed to prestigious international firm Handel Architects LLP, which is widely recognized for its environmentally-friendly designs and for creating spaces open to the community.

Santiago, 9 June 2022.
Santander Group today announced plans to construct a new corporate building in Santiago for its operations there. The new building will set milestones in multiple dimensions, notably for environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, contribution to the wider city and job quality for those employees who work there.

Claudio Melandri, chairman of Santander Group in Chile, remarked that the development of this new corporate building, which will entail an investment of close to USD 350 million, “is a show of Santander’s long-term confidence in the country and a clear demonstration of the bank’s commitment to its customers and associates. We strongly believe that this is a unique opportunity for us to move forward decisively on various fronts, thus enabling us to maintain our leadership, build our future and ensure well-being for everyone, all at the same time.”

The agreement to construct this new building was signed today between Santander Group and Territoria, a project developer with a long track record in creating urban spaces with enormous architectural and environmental value and worth.

To mark the occasion, Francisco Rencoret, chairman of Territoria, had the following words to say: “The design of Santander’s corporate building is the product of an intense process, in which architects, designers and specialists worked closely with representatives of Santander Group to ensure that the building delivers on the requirements of each of its projects: focused on the well-being of people, harmonically integrated into the city, and with a strong emphasis on environmental respect and protection in relation to its construction and operation. We are delighted to be undertaking this project for Banco Santander, which is a world leader in these matters. We want to build one of the most sustainable projects in the world.”

The chairman of Santander Chile affirmed that the new corporate headquarters will set a new standard for sustainability and urban planning as it will be seeking the most prestigious and demanding international certifications. Claudio Melandri explained that this project has been a long time coming and that they hope to have the building up and running by 2026.

The new offices will be built on the intersection of Av. Américo Vespucio Norte and Av. Presidente Riesco. The building has been conceived as an Urban Campus spanning 12 floors above ground and five below. An environmental- and community-friendly construction scheme has been chosen. Its design and execution reflect the very highest standards in environmental awareness, seamless integration within the community, employee well-being and communication with the city and beyond.

The conceptual design of the new building was drawn up by Handel Architects LLP, a prestigious international architecture and interior design firm based in New York, who are leaders in large-scale passive design architecture.

As for the attributes inspiring the design, Gary Handel, founding partner and executive director of Handel Architects LLP, explained that “this building embodies our desire to build a sustainable future, for a more human workplace, and for a better relationship between companies and the society in which they operate.” In his view, with “this project we have created connections with nature, while reducing our reliance on mechanical systems and the fossil fuels that drive them to dramatically improve the quality of the working environments.”

Handel also highlights the positive impact that the project has had on the bank’s employees, as “by giving each person working in this building access to outdoor spaces, natural light, fresh air and views, we can improve not only worker satisfaction and productivity, but also their health and well-being. We have opened up the spaces at the base of the building to create gardens and environments open to the public, thus delivering fluid interaction and building a stronger relationship between the company and the community in its broadest sense. By breaking the “glass box”, both figuratively and literally, the project demonstrates an ESG commitment at the very highest level.”

Sustainable at heart

For Santander Chile’s president, Claudio Melandri, “This project has arisen as a natural product of our own transformation and of our culture of doing things in a simple, personal and fair way,” as we seek to generate a positive impact on all relevant dimensions of the bank’s business and in perfect harmony with the environment and with the community. Our aim was to ensure unrivalled design and architectural quality that is respectful of the local community and with a low environmental impact, and to create a world-class health and well-being experience for employees, customers and visitors.

Sustainability lies at the heart of the project, with mixed work spaces throughout the building to cater to work, relaxation and other needs, all at the same time. The building will therefore include open terraces, spaces where workers can disconnect, natural ventilation and lighting, plant life throughout the building and large spaces uncluttered by posts and pillars, among other features.

Santander Group also seeks to build strong relations with the local community. To succeed, the corporate building will have spaces open to local inhabitants and regular visitors to the neighbourhood, such as walking areas, gardens, a large Work Café and an amphitheatre for staging all sorts of events.