Vladimir Kaspe Cultural Center / Jorge Hernandez de la Garza
Architects: Jorge Hernandez de la Garza, Gabriel Covarrubias González, Gerardo Broissin Covarrubias
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Collaborators: María Teresa de la Torre Gorráez, Carlos Rubio, Jessica Vega
Project Year: 2006
Construction: GDI / Ing. José Hinojosa
Structural Engineering: Arq. Fernando Castillo
Photographs: Paul Czitrom
The composition of the of the building is based on three fundamental and concordant elements to form a complete balanced one; on one hand a skeleton made of steel. Followed by an extremely sure and and resistant armed concrete body and to give the touch of subtle solidity, glass.
The pieces that conform it, are assembled by means of punctual elements made by these materials; they start from a solid stony volume that fixes the work to the land, the visible structure is materialized in columns that both for balance and functionality reasons, become the force of the building. On the other hand the augmented plane of glass, slight and transparent, which also defines the access to the pavilion and mark the limits with the immediate environment.
The huge open spaces in the first level, called the basement, the outdoors third level, as the one in the middle, covered with a glass skin, provide timeless light and shades that result in an atmosphere of tranquility and simplicity, a fundamental part of the argument used in this building that will perform the functions of a cultural center for the institution.
An external ramp, whose upward sense refers to the eternal human desire to figure out the immemorial knowledge of life, carries the users to the different spaces. First they`ll find a vault that will contain an important computation equipment to the be used by student community, next, inside the body of the construction, in a specially designed area where the wealth of the common property donated by Vladimir Kaspe will be preserved and finally, it will become the perfect scenario for the un substitutable long distance conferences from the most distant countries, among other activities.
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- plans 01
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- plans 02
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There is a word for this building, “Titanic”; It is how students that go there call it.
I was driving to nightclub and suddenly I saw a “white light wall” that got my atention, so, few weeks later I returned, and tried to take some photos, but the security guards from that University came out of no-where and said I can not take photos (I was angry about that) so I tried to get information about it and asked a student that was passing by, and she told me that they called “Titanic” (I get confused); so I ask her why, she answerd, because it sunk (not literally, but almost), she said that once the computer room (the one in the basement) was completely flooded (I guess “a hard rainy day”) and all computers were lost, also there were mistakes of construction like leaks and was something as students can’t be proud.
So, I think it’s a shame for that University , the fact that students speak bad about it, usually in Mexico we can’t find this kind of architecture, and usually has many problems in its construction. I can’t enter there so I can’t get a better idea of how it is really. (well I can go and see it myself, that’s enough, I guess) I just can guess is a good idea, but not so good “functional” desing and construction.