The project is located in El Pedregal, a neighborhood south of Mexico City whose master plan was designed by Architect Luis Barragán. This master plan was developed in phases in 1945 as a new residential area in the city and served as an experimental platform for Mexican architects to create modern houses. Over the years, El Pedregal evolved from a solely residential neighborhood to a mixed-use community.
Today, it features schools, parks, shops, restaurants, shopping malls, a supermarket, and a large informal market with houses converted into offices. The continuous population growth demanded more recreational spaces, and one of the main avenues, Las Fuentes, started converting old houses into commercial plazas without considering public space.
We were asked to design one of these plazas right in front of Luis Barragán Park, located in the heart of the neighborhood. We noticed that this park, along with others, was practically abandoned and lacked maintenance, making it unsafe. This inspired us to create a building that could engage in a dialogue with the park and reactivate it. Instead of designing a closed commercial plaza with no visual connection to the street and nothing inside except stores and services, we designed a building that focused on open and public space.
We pushed the building inward at the central point of the facade to create an open interior space that would feel like an extension of the street and the park. The building is interconnected by a series of ramps, making it more accessible from the sidewalk and to all levels, providing a unique experience for users to appreciate the visual permeability of the building. In the center, we designed a staircase/seating area for people to sit and enjoy the public space and the views of the park.
The plaza has an approximate area of 2,500 square meters and consists of 3 levels and a basement for parking. There are 2 levels above street level and one at a mid-level below the sidewalk, which creates the central interior area of the project where all spaces converge. It is visually and physically connected to the street but isolated from the noise of continuous traffic. Continuing on that level, at the back, there is a second open plaza where the interior commercial spaces of the building are visible. This area is surrounded by a green wall that covers the adjacent walls of neighboring buildings, creating a space that offers tranquility and serenity outdoors but within the building. The upper levels provide views towards the two internal plazas and the park. The top level is reached through the central staircase and houses a restaurant with a large terrace overlooking the park.
The building is constructed with concrete, steel structure, and glass facades. The structure serves as the primary aesthetic element and language of the building. The two adjacent side walls of the plaza are covered with prefabricated ivory-colored aluminum panels, whose lines create a vanishing effect and dynamic lines towards the interior of the building. LED strips illuminate the facade, enhancing its visual appeal.
