From an architectural perspective, the challenge was to achieve a balance between the exhibition space and the creation of an exceptional spatial experience that harmonized perfectly with the brand’s distinctive aesthetics.
To carry out this project, a house built in the 1940s located in one of the city’s most exclusive neighborhoods, El Nogal, was selected. This neighborhood derives its name from a landmark tree in the area and is characterized by its brick streets, which became a key element of the project. Over time, the house had undergone interventions that had obscured its original essence, so the design strategy focused on removing the elements that had distorted the authenticity of the space.
To harmoniously connect the proposal with the surrounding urban environment, an extensive brick platform was designed at the main entrance. The facade was also restored to its original appearance, and a new element in the form of a dark box was introduced, covering irrecoverable areas and connecting to a large showcase displaying the prestigious collection. The rest of the building envelope was kept in the background, painted in a light gray tone, and sealed its openings, directing attention to the exhibited products.
Access through the compressed box emphasizes the feeling of expansion upon entering the interior space, where part of the first-floor structure was removed to reveal the original wooden beams of the roof.
Here, a volume of stacked pieces is imposingly arranged in the double height and is responsible for structuring the program, concealing the private part, and guiding visitors on their journey. Brick continues to play a prominent role, as in the neighborhood’s streets, but now in a dark gray tone that envelops the space and focuses attention on the collection.
This initial room of great height and darkness precedes a compressed space submerged in darkness, contrasting with the spaciousness and brightness of the next space. At this point, an impressive skylight formed by a series of parallel beams projects striped shadows, adding a special character to this unique space.
Finally, three steps invite you to conclude the journey, providing access through stairs to a lower but very luminous area. This space gives meaning to the sequence inspired by the allegory of the cave: a path toward an ideal where the dazzlement is part of the process.
Through this careful concatenation of spaces, a gradation in their privacy is achieved, and in conjunction with the restoration of the building’s essence, a fluid environment with a variety of captivating atmospheres is created.
