The work supported by the Rectory, recovers this historic space and incorporates 12 stained glass windows that remember different passages in the life of the Chilean Nobel Prize winner, highlighting in her images the role of the poet in the field of Chilean public education. 

Rescuing traditional elements of the building and extolling the work of the famous poet Gabriela Mistral, by incorporating 12 stained glass windows that remember important passages of her life and work. These were the aspects considered in the remodeling work of the Amphitheater of the Former Normal School, located on the Isabel Bongard Campus, and which is part of the space improvement policy of the University of La Serena.

Through a process of inquiry with normal students who studied in the place, it was possible to return to a design similar to the original, in addition to recognizing the teaching work of our Nobel Prize in Literature and Isabel Bongard, both teachers who are bulwarks of education in Chile. .

The work, carried out by the Services Directorate team and supported by the Rector's Office, had as its main axis the remodeling of the space, where an attempt was made to recover the image it had before the fire that affected it during 1988. In addition, beautiful stained glass windows on Gabriela Mistral, made by the artist Daniel Palominos.

During the inauguration ceremony, the Academic Vice-Rector, Dr. Alejandra Torrejón, representing the Rector, Dr. Nibaldo Avilés, pointed out that "this intangible heritage, which as the University of La Serena we have cared for for decades, has made us guarantors of "the preservation of pedagogy careers in our region and we hope that it will be recognized as a temple of education, culture and the arts. There is an enormous cultural heritage here that makes us significantly proud and we urge you to be part of it."

As the authority mentioned, one of the key points of this remodeling was the help provided by the normalistas who studied in the place, since they were the ones who described what this space was like. In this way, it was possible to find the original design, in order to use it as a reference point for the current one. The communication that the University had with the normalista community was of vital importance, because it not only allows maintaining a historical place in the city, but also maintaining the active link with those who have a tradition around education in the region. 

The project, where the sum of more than 110 million pesos was invested, was presented in two stages. The first was developed around the remodeling of the physical space, that is, changing windows, construction of a steel structure for a false ceiling, replacement of pavement, interior and exterior painting, among other works. And a second stage, which consisted of the design and construction of stained glass windows with the theme of the Nobel Prize winner Gabriela Mistral, highlighting the importance of the Chilean poet, and highlighting her influence and work in Chilean education.

The recently inaugurated space had the opportunity to be premiered with participants of the fifth Meeting of Our America, ENA, which has the ULS as host and which seeks to implement educational improvements with social impact. The meeting brings together representatives from different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, in order to generate deep dialogue and reflection on issues linked to education.

Written by Patricia Castro, DirCom

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