Heritage and High-rise Densification: The Basilica of the Sacramentinos in Santiago, Chile

Urban growth impacts the built environment and historical buildings in the pericentral areas of cities. In this context, this research aims to identify the urban transformation processes involving high-rise densification around a heritage space with dual protection: Historical Monument and Typical Zone of the Civic Quarter, such as the case of the Basilica of the Sacramentinos in the commune of Santiago, Chile. Employing a mixed methodology, the repopulation plan, evolution, and displacement of real estate supply, building permits, land value, and analysis of state and municipal heritage regulations were analyzed. The results show how the neighborhood surrounding the Basilica has been transformed, the regulatory benefits of the Municipal Regulatory Plan, and the physical obsolescence affecting the property, which has contributed to a loss in its heritage value, leaving it as a pathological element segregated from the current urban fabric. Finally, based on the findings, recommendations are proposed for the coexistence of new urban processes and heritage buildings.