41.26 in Mexico City, Mexico by Goko

Article source: Goko

In one of the main entrances to Mexico City we found a dilapidated building that needed a new life. Located in an area of traffic chaos and visual saturation, the intervention had to be simple, honest and discreet to stand out in that environment.

Image Courtesy © Aki Itami R.

• Architects: Goko
• Project: 41.26
• Location: Mexico City, Mexico
• Photography: Aki Itami R.
• Project Manager: Isaac Guzmán R.
• Construction Manager: Carlos Ascensión L.
• Facade:  Arte Urbano / Hunter Douglas
• Landscape Design: Cénica / Florever
• Textile Design: Isabel Maldonado
• Year: 2012
• Area: 1560 m2

Image Courtesy © Aki Itami R.

We cleaned the building by removing all unnecessary items accumulated over the years and used a variety of materials as layers, as ‘veils’ to protect and create appropriate scenarios for each space and function.

Image Courtesy © Aki Itami R.

Savings all around
The Aluzinc coating of passive solar control on the facade helped us inside with the ideal indirect natural lighting for work and to get the right temperature. This lowered the artificial lighting use and avoided climate control providing significant energy savings.The gray and white tones used on the outside, managed to lose the volume in the gray sky of the city generating a break in the saturated street.

Image Courtesy © Aki Itami R.

The structure
You enter the building through a white corridor that acts as a filter. This corridor ends in a five-story central atrium that serves as the patio where the offices are lit by zenital daylight. Here we find a second, translucent veil of fifteen meters high curtains made of recycled material. This allows the passage of natural light to the office, but at the same time functions as visual and acoustic barrier between public and private areas.

Image Courtesy © Aki Itami R.

The view from this hall is framed by ending either up to the sky or to a  second outdoor patio, contained by a third green curtain This design strategy enabled us to reduce labor costs and time as well as to generate significant, daily energy savings for the building, while optimal spaces were provided for working where greater interaction and creativity were possible.

Image Courtesy © Aki Itami R.

Image Courtesy © Aki Itami R.

Image Courtesy © Aki Itami R.

Image Courtesy © Aki Itami R.

Image Courtesy © Aki Itami R.

Image Courtesy © GoKo

Image Courtesy © GoKo

Image Courtesy © GoKo

Tags: Mexico, Mexico City

Category: Building

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