Just BE is an apartment building located in Colonia Condesa, a neighbourhood renowned
for its social and commercial activity as well as its nightlife. The building sits on the same
street as the Fondo de Cultura (Cultural Fund) and the old Bella Época cinema theatre, a
1940's building with a 20-meter high tower that is an icon in the area.
We approached this commission by first considering some particular characteristics of the
site, especially its location on the corner of two streets with different energies and
different impacts both for residents and the casual passer-by. Benjamin Hill Avenue is an
important circulation artery for cars, bicycles and pedestrians, as well as being an access
way to and from the neighbourhood; it is also used occasionally for a local tradition - the
market on wheels. In contrast, the Calle Reynosa is a very narrow street that only serves as residential access.
Given these conditions we proposed two distinct fronts: on Benjamin Hill Avenue a front
that is partially screened by a wooden lattice, and towards Calle Reynosa a front that is
open to the street through long balconies and a full height glass curtain wall. We have
considered the social life and urban activity of the area as vital elements that serve to
integrate the building into its context.
As a reference for our design we have recalled a particular object that relates to street life
in the area: a box made of wooden slats often used to carry vegetables, known in Mexico
as 'huacal'. This element suggests enclosure and isolation and, at the same time, the
openness and movement characteristic of a market on wheels.
The design brief required a minimum open area, which we solved by means of two voids
with clearly defined functions: one that hosts the secondary access by means of vertical
circulation (an open staircase) and supplies air flow, and another void that creates views
towards the Culture Fund and, at the same time, generates cross-ventilation to the interior of each apartment and allows natural light from all directions. We have also added internal balconies towards this inner void.
The building floats over a basement level that houses the carpark. At the street corner we
have created a small public space with an informal seating arrangement made up of
wooden cubes against a red tiled wall which lights up at night, creating a welcoming
meeting place for the public. It is interesting to watch passers-by, whether on foot, by car
or bike, interact with this space and with the active context surrounding it. The building
responds well to the constant dynamics of the cultural, commercial and entertainment
area that is Colonia Condesa.
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