Proyecto Público Prim
© Laure Nashed
A large old wooden entrance gate in Prim Street with a surprise behind it: a dilapidated colonial architecture overgrown with tropical plants creates an unexpectedly noble and mystical atmosphere. The two neighbouring mansions, which were built in Mexico City at the beginning of the 20th century and then decayed, bear witness to history and radiate prestige. After being abandoned for over forty years, the houses were renovated in 2014. The expression of the charming ruins was to be preserved – even highlighted. The peeling façade paint, the over-high windows without glass and even the graffiti of people illegally staying in the buildings were left as they were found. Today the former residences are rented out as venues for art exhibitions, fashion shows or private events such as weddings. Contrast and the approach to time also characterise the latest addition to the Proyecto Público Prim: a recently completed roof structure that covers the three courtyards of one of the manor houses.
Rise, decay and regeneration of a neighbourhood
Basically, the entire Juarez district where the project is located is characterised by the contrast between wealth and poverty, old and new. Well-dressed businessmen and tourists walk on the same holey pavement next to beggars and young people in nightclothes. It is the history of the neighbourhood that leads to this image: The first buildings of the Juarez were built at the beginning of the 20th century by wealthy families who tried to create a European, exclusive way of life. Later, these families moved on, leaving space for artists and intellectuals who revitalised the district from the 1960s to the 1980s. A strong earthquake in 1985 caused a lot of damage, so that many inhabitants fled to more solid ground and the “Colonia Juarez” fell into a district of ruins. For around ten years now, the city has been trying to regenerate the neighbourhood.
Synthetic lightness on the ruin of Prim © Laure Nashed
New transparency and symmetry as weather protection for the inner courtyards
The connecting covered walkway © Laure Nashed
Two types of plastic covers filter the sometimes strong sunlight in Mexico © Laure Nashed
View of the city skyline of Mexico City
Transparent framework
A shaky wooden staircase leads to the roof terrace, covered by a more than fifty metre long, wintergarden-like construction of 45 truss girders in white painted steel.The materiality and the clear gesture of a straight, uninterrupted structure stand out from the existing structure. They not only protect the existing inner courtyards from the weather, but also the roof terrace areas, two staircases and a connecting side corridor. Two types of plastic covers – one transparent and one opaque – and textile bands filter the sometimes strong sunlight in Mexico without obscuring the view of the sky from the inner courtyards. Large steel vessels are filled with magnificent plants that hang down into the inner courtyards and simultaneously form a counterweight to the steel skeleton.
The architects of the new roof construction, which was inaugurated in February this year, subtly play with transparency, symmetry and the structural framework. They call themselves Productora – in accordance with their philosophy of production. They stand out time and again for their precision, which is unusual for Mexico, not only in the design, but especially in the execution. Their projects made of earth-coloured exposed concrete, which seem timeless, have earned them worldwide recognition. In contrast, their work Prim seems light and temporary with industrialised synthetic and therefore less sustainable materials. It shines in its novelty as does the skyline of the high-rise buildings on Mexico’s main boulevard, the Paseo de la Reforma, only a few streets away.
