Reforma 1
Apartment Complex
MExico City, Mexico
1999
“Make yours what is obvious,” is the way Aragonés would best define this building. The project is situated in one of the busiest avenues in Mexico City. Eliminating noise pollution was the most important puzzle to solve for this project.
The problem was resolved by dividing the complex into two great blocks. The first block houses the office building which is constructed over 3,500 square meters.
The rear block is where the apartments are located. This building is also protected by a great separation between both constructions making the apartments almost totally isolated from the noise. The rear façade is oriented towards a ravine, providing a view which contrasts greatly with that of the main façade. The vegetation which defines the ravine furnishes a very attractive view. “It seemed that the most logical thing to do was to turn my back on the avenue and make the ravine ours.
Mario Pisani Text
Jamie Jacott Photography
Once you are in the building the avenue ceases to exist, and that is what I am referring to when I say, ‘making yours what is obvious.’ The noise was so overwhelming that the only way to make it disappear was to turn our backs on it. We embraced the rear view, making it a part of our apartments. The intention was to provide for apartments which may have their own offices or places of work, functioning as home workspaces and eliminating the need to use a car. The ideal thing is to avoid having to go from one part of the city to another in such a large and busy city as Mexico’s capitol, which has more than 20 million inhabitants and a transportation network that is in utter chaos. There are people who spend an average of two to three hours a day simply traveling to and from work!”
PRoject DEtails
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Miguel Angel Aragonés
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Georgina Amador, Juan C. Leon, Juan Carlos Calanchini, Gabriel Villalobos
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Nicola Lorusso
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Xawery Wolski
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Mexico city, Mexico
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1,102 M2