Mar Tirreno 86 by Frida Escobedo challenges conventions of vertical housing blocks in highly compelling ways using a custom concrete facade and a spatial organization that blurs the realm between public and private, interior and exterior.
The project is perhaps initially most striking for a façade of undulating, custom-fabricated concrete blocks. Light and shadow ripple as they move across the surface of this concrete veil, producing dazzling effects throughout the day.
Spatially, the housing block divides dwelling units between two separate volumes. This design decision was inspired by the ‘vecindad,’ a typical work-class housing type in Mexico dating to the turn of the 20th century, in which family dwellings are arranged to one or both sides of an open-air, provide corridor-like patio. The patios serve as a transitional space between the bustling street and the family home and further serve as gathering places for residents.
Rather than relying on exterior facing balconies typical of many vertical housing blocks, here, the housing units are oriented inward, forming a series of quiet, sheltered terraces that mediate the interior and exterior in a more ambiguous way.
The result could perhaps be seen not merely as an apartment block, but as intertwined, multi-story ‘patio houses’ that ensure the best natural lighting and privacy.
