The Mirante Kay Kay de Monkul pedestrian path, designed by architects Gonzalo Vergudo and Carlos Seguel, is located in the Monkul Pantanal (Monkul Wetland) — one of the most valuable coastal ecosystems in southern Chile.
This wooden infrastructure is designed as a low-impact structure, allowing visitors to explore and contemplate the surrounding landscape without disturbing its fragile ecological balance. The project establishes a respectful dialogue between architecture, nature, and the ancient culture of the Mapuche Lafkenche people.
The structure integrates into the territory in the form of a yellow wooden snake and includes three viewing platforms equipped with cultural and scientific infographics. Universal accessibility is provided along the entire route, and the project's implementation was carefully planned within an interdisciplinary framework to avoid damaging the existing delicate context.
The path serves as a tool for landscape interpretation; its trajectory follows the geography of the pantanal, offering a sequence of views, stops, and viewpoints that encourage the discovery of the region's biodiversity and the deep connection maintained by the Mateo Nauelpan community with this ancestral land.
The project demonstrates the potential of architecture as a symbolic means for environmental conservation, education, and responsible tourism. It creates a meeting place where natural and cultural heritage is valued through sensitive intervention that respects the surroundings and can be reversible over time if necessary. This work is part of efforts to enhance the significance of the Monkul Wetland, a Ramsar site, and was developed in close collaboration with the local community.