Libraries / Archives
Lo Contador Library
Lo Contador Library houses one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date collections in architecture, design, and urban and territorial studies in the country and the region. It currently holds approximately 87,000 bibliographic resources in print and audiovisual formats, such as books, theses, journals, plans, and maps. It also houses around 2,300 items from the Heritage Collection, the enhancement of which has been promoted since 2019. Highlights include the original handwritten letters between Joaquín Toesca and Manuel de Salas regarding the reconstruction of the Tajamares del Mapocho in the late 18th century, and the original works of Violeta del Campo Moya, one of the various pioneers of modern architecture who graduated from UC. In addition, the library has a large and constantly growing number of specialized electronic journals and subscribed databases.
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Characterized by a modern infrastructure designed by UC Architecture School Professor Teodoro Fernández, recipient of the 2014 National Architecture Prize, together with the renowned architect Cecilia Puga and the 2026 Pritzker Prize Smiljan Radic, both UC alumni, the Sergio Larraín García Moreno Information and Documentation Center building, spans 1,300 square meters, includes 200 seating posts, a section with light tables, eduroam Wi-Fi network, computers, and an inclusivity section as part of the UC Future School Library, an initiative dedicated to support the educative process of primary and secondary students from vulnerable areas. Its spacious and bright areas encourage on-site reading and the consultation of various types of collections.
Opening hours:
During the academic period (spanning from March to mid-December), Monday to Friday from 7:45 AM to 8:30 PM, and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. During the summer break, the library is open from mid-December to January, Monday to Friday, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and closed during February.
Lucina Malaver De La Fuente
Lo Contador Library Chief
Jacqueline Franjola Cabello
Secretary
Other Libraries and Archives
FADEU Original Archives
The original archives at the Sergio Larraín García Moreno Information and Documentation Center house a total of 34,681 cataloged records in its database. These are distributed across 35 documentary funds, consisting mostly of personal archives produced by prominent Chilean architects throughout their academic and professional careers, and 9 special collections based on research conducted by faculty members in architecture, design, and urban studies. Highlights include the Emilio Duhart Documentary Fund, featuring plans and drawings from the ECLAC building, one of the architect’s masterpieces; the Guillermo Jullian de la Fuente Documentary Fund, Le Corbusier’s right-hand man between 1956 until the master’s death in 1965; the Oscar Prager Documentary Fund, with drawings, documents and records of the pioneering Austrian-born landscape architect and urban planner; and the 2003 ELEMENTAL Housing Competition, among other.
National Design
National Design 1845-2000
A repository for educational purposes and to promote Chile’s graphic heritage, National Design collects images on graphic design and on products produced in the country between 1845 and 2000. Led by the School of Design professor Pedro Álvarez, this image bank aims to highlight a material legacy that forms part of the history of design in Chile, making the archive available for free download and free of copyright.
Santiago Visual Archive
The project is a website serving as the first virtual library of historical images of Santiago, Chile’s capital, collecting images from 1600 to 1967. The material, compiled from major national and international libraries and museums, covers a wide range of techniques (painting, drawing, maps, photographs, and architectural plans), with the central aim of valuing and preserving the heritage and memory of a city founded in 1541.