Abstract

This article analyses the history of timber architecture in Valparaíso, viewed through the lens of the city’s flammability. It uses the concept of fire regime to examine how considerations of fire risk have shaped urban development between 1838 and 1906. The research aims to show that Valparaíso’s frequent fires, along with its preference for timber construction in the nineteenth century, fed social tensions affecting local traditions and contributing to the creation of a complex notion of fire regime and fire risk. Sources include official documents from the municipal, regional, and national governments, press, and the records of private firefighting companies. The research focuses on three main elements of Valparaíso’s fire regime. First, it demonstrates that fires gradually became viewed as a human and social problem in the city. Secondly, it illustrates how this transition directly affected the production of a local architecture. And finally, it reveals the paradox of Valparaíso’s vernacular timber architecture as based on an imported material.

摘要

本文分析了瓦尔帕莱索木结构建筑的历史，从这座城市的易燃性角度来看。它使用火灾制度的概念来研究对火灾风险的考虑如何影响 1838 年至 1906 年间的城市发展。该研究旨在表明，瓦尔帕莱索频繁的火灾以及 19 世纪对木材建筑的偏好，加剧了影响当地的社会紧张局势。传统，并有助于创建复杂的火灾制度和火灾风险概念。来源包括来自市政、地区和国家政府的官方文件、媒体以及私营消防公司的记录。研究的重点是瓦尔帕莱索火势的三个主要因素。首先，它表明火灾逐渐被视为城市中的人类和社会问题。其次，它说明了这种转变如何直接影响当地建筑的生产。最后，它揭示了瓦尔帕莱索基于进口材料的本土木结构建筑的悖论。