The Universidad de Santiago de Chile awarded its highest academic distinction to architect Miguel Lawner Steiman, who received an honorary doctorate on November 16.
In the presence of prominent architecture professionals, authorities, family, and friends, Miguel Lawner reflected on his life and work. He delighted the audience with anecdotes, joys, and sorrows from his 95 years, sharing his passion for the city, territory, and social housing while reinforcing his deep-seated conviction to contribute to the common good through his craft.
During the ceremony, the Rector of the Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Rodrigo Vidal Rojas, noted that the institution “celebrates his values, his integrity, and his unwavering commitment to social justice and human dignity.” These principles were echoed by the Vice Dean of Research and Postgraduate Studies of the Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment, Rodrigo Martin, who stated that “he is a man who imbued his profession with humanity's most fundamental values, elevating the principle of the common good over private interests (...) focusing his work on access to housing for those most in need.”
Early Years
Titled "70 Years Practicing the Noblest of Crafts: Architecture," Miguel Lawner's keynote address began with his years as an architecture student at the Universidad de Chile. He highlighted the significance of the 1946 Educational Reform, which introduced the concept of the “Comprehensive Architect,” fostering collective work and solidarity within a national context that was taking its first steps toward industrialization.
As a student, he participated in various public competitions, placing among the finalists in several of them. Upon graduating, he partnered with his wife Anamaría Barrenechea and colleague Francisco Ehijo to found Bel Arquitectos, establishing their professional reputation both nationally and internationally.
Social Housing
In his address, he highlighted the efforts of the administrations that promoted the creation of the Housing Corporation (CORVI) in 1953, strengthening the state's emphasis on social housing. Lawner expressed regret over the elimination of public architecture competitions for social housing developments, noting that “they are a formula for democratizing professional practice. Newer generations have the right to demonstrate their professional merits through a path as democratic and transparent as a competition.”
According to Lawner, Salvador Allende’s victory provided the opportunity to realize “dignified housing and a city for all.” In 1970, he took over as Executive Director of the Urban Improvement Corporation (CORMU), which promoted urban social integration. The most significant project built during Lawner's tenure at CORMU was the UNCTAD building (now the GAM building), which was designed to host the Third UNCTAD Conference. He also detailed the restoration of Cousiño Park, today known as O’Higgins Park, where they rehabilitated 54 hectares.
A Survivor
Following the 1973 military coup, he was detained on September 12 and taken as a prisoner of war to Dawson Island, where he worked on restoring the Puerto Harris church. He also designed a children's playground for the local hamlet, an initiative that was blocked by the Military Intelligence Service. However, students from the School of Architecture at the Universidad de Chile built a replica of these playground structures for the 2019 Architecture Biennial. In 2023, social organizations replicated the project in the city of Castro, Chiloé Island.
After nearly two years of confinement, he went into exile in Denmark in 1975 with his wife and children. It was there that the drawings he made while imprisoned on Dawson Island were widely circulated, exposing “the crimes and disappearances of people taking place in our country.”
Return to Chile
In March 1984, he returned to Chile, resuming the architecture practice he shared with his wife and his colleague Ehijo. They began participating in design competitions hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urbanism (MINVU) for municipal buildings, winning the commission for the Lo Prado municipal headquarters. At the same time, he joined the Colegio de Arquitectos, where he was elected National Director for two terms. In 1984, he also assumed the presidency of the Alejandro Lipschutz Science Institute (ICAL), an organization that brought together prominent professionals and served as “the most significant platform for cultural opposition to the dictatorship.”
In addition to questioning the economic model promoted by the dictatorship, he criticized the housing and urban development policies of recent decades. He challenged newer generations to “be capable of taking on these challenges (...) and restoring the State's capacity to lead housing and urban development policies, safeguarding the common good,” adding that “the primary misfortune generated by neoliberalism has been depriving us of the freedom to practice our profession. We must be aware of this situation and fight to bring it to an end.”
Recent Years
Over the last decade, the architect has focused on fighting to recover the state's role in driving urban development and public housing policies. He was appointed to the National Council for Urban Development (2014–2018), and in May 2015, he submitted a report outlining measures to implement a land policy for urban social integration.
Throughout his long and distinguished career, he has received numerous honors, including the Claude Brunet de Baines Architect Medal awarded by the Universidad de Chile in 2010; the 2016 National Monuments Conservation Award (from DIBAM, the National Monuments Council, and UNESCO); and the Medal of Honor from the Neruda Foundation. In 2019, he won the National Architecture Prize, and at the end of 2023, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Universidad de Santiago de Chile in recognition of his extraordinary career, values, integrity, and unwavering commitment to social justice and human dignity.
News via Communications Unit of the Faculty of Architecture and Built Environment, Universidad de Santiago de Chile.