Baker & McKenzie opened their offices for the first time in Mexico City in 1961 and since then have successfully worked until today, consolidating itself as the biggest and most prestigious law firm of Mexico. This growth led the firm to look for a new space in the newly inaugurated Torre Virreyes: a vibrant business epicenter in the city.
The architectonic and interior design project of five thousand squared meters (5000 m2) is the result of the collaboration between Interior Architects (IA) and Mayer Hasbani (MH).
IA is a North American prestigious firm specialized in corporate interior design, it has various offices: in this project, the collaboration was designed with the team at the Chicago, Illinois location. The project was thought out to be a luxurious space, which would echo the success of the largest fiscal and legal services firm in the world. In order to achieve this, the project was divided into two organizational areas: a public and a private. The former is a conference center that occupies a forth part of the floor and the latter on the first and second floor. The private work area is where the particular work of lawyers takes place, who need privacy and concentration in their lobbying and negotiations.
The design is born from a narrow and elongated floor plan, which collides into the best views of the city 360º. The structural element of Torre Virreyes, —the steel braces that carry the structure—, intersect the windows to allow for the viewing of the scale of the construction. In the interior design by B&M this structure, instead of obstructing the pristine vision, is an important part of the geometric play between the structural brutality and the harmony of the interior proportions. The project presents a design of spatial cleanliness that masterfully resolves all of the clients’ needs.
The project is developed in two levels that are articulated by a sculptural staircase of double height that flanks a wall covered by Travertino Silver local marmol. Even though, B&M is an international firm, the architecture through the materials used sought to engrain itself with the local in order to create a better connection with the clients and context. In the same manner in which contrasting elements, textures and finishings of materials were played with in order to make luxurious spaces of transition or immersion according to the needs of every space.
The interior workspace area on the second floor is a floor flanked by private offices, the individual work stations are located at the center additionally, horizontal collaboration spaces where also designed. In the workspace areas the furnishing rythms allow for longer perspectives and continuous views of the city, with which the greatest amount of light in the interiors is gained: the design, conclusively, gets a balance between privacy and transparency. The furnishings are modulated according to the employees’ necessities however, the elements are the same and this are organized depending on the office size and its particular users.
The Board of Trustees Room represents the firms success in a strongly manner. It is a meeting space for 32 counselors in a white marble table surrounded by the iconic skyline of Mexico City.
The new offices of B&M amalgamate a methodic work culture like that of the architects and the passion for the design of Hasbani and Interior Architects. The spatial dialogues talk about the care, luxury and power: a combination that will not pass unacknowledged by the clients of Baker & McKenzie.
