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Mexico City
TEN Arquitectos
Photography © Undine Pröhl
A translucent jewel brightens a derelict
neighborhood
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"The
top two floors of the social spaces provide a
compelling oasis that lingers in one's memory
after leaving the place."
—Marion Weiss, AIA
Architect
TEN Arquitectos
Client
Hotel Habita S.A. de C.V.
Key
players
Construcciones Gavaldón (general contractor);
Colinas de Buen (engineer); Val & Val (window
consultant)
Read
more
Project
portfolio March 2001
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Program:
Mexico City needed a hotel of a special kind—one that
would differentiate itself from the predictable, exist as
a work of art, and breathe fresh, new life into the hotel
scene in this vibrant city. Location was everything, and a
grimy, derelict, 1950s five-story apartment building in a
prime location fit the bill. Unfortunately, zoning laws did
not permit demolition—the architect needed to perform
radical surgery on the existing site.
Solution:
For the Hotel Habita, a total of 32 rooms and 4 suites were
created with two floors of social space on top, including
a lap pool on the roof and an open-air terrace to accommodate
meetings and banquets. A retreatlike interior deflected the
unpleasantness of the outside world. This was created by attaching
a new translucent glazing system to the building's outer edge,
giving it a glowing second skin. The hotel enjoyed immediate
success, with 75 percent occupancy, reinvigorating development
and transforming the fringe of a high-end shopping area into
a consolidated urban fabric.
For more images please see the November
2003 issue or Architectural Record.
The Winners: Orange
Innovations
The Finalists: Automated
Trading Desk Technology Campus
Unbuilt Projects: Great
Harbor Design Center
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