Category: Offices
Region: Mexico
Year: 1974
Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
FT2 Construction: 0 sq ft
FT2 Ground: 0 sq ft
Involved Areas: Architecture, Interior Design
Collaborators:
LEGORRETA®
Ricardo Legorreta
Noé Castro
Carlos Vargas Senior
Associate Architects:
Juan Gracia Ponce y Ricardo Regazzoni
Consultants:
Structural Design: José Luis Calderón
Electrical Design: S.G. Construcciones
Electrical Design and General Contractor: I.E.M.
General Contractor: S.G. Construcciones
Photographer:
Julius Shulman
Situated in the heart of Mexico City the SECORP building is the headquarters for a holding company by the same name. The building has 3 floors with 750 sq. meters per floor for a total of 2,250 sq. meters. The first floor at street level features the main reception lobby and a series of completely independent spaces for rent as shops. Both upper floors are used by SECORP. The structure of the building is such that it allows a possible vertical expansion of the building as the company grows. The building presents a very solid form based on masonry walls which appear to have been perforated to open windows which show no frame and are recessed 60 centimeters from the outside surface thus giving a very strong appearance to the walls. The building is painted burned orange which contrasts subtly in color and texture with the solar bronze windows and dramatically with the blue sky. Internally the building is divided by the service lobby into two main areas of different size. The smaller size areas house the directors office, conference room, lounge area, etc. The larger areas are occupied by the different directors and auxiliary personnel that head the various companies which form the holding company. These larger areas are designed with the landscape office system in mind. Straight and curved divisions 1.60 meters high form the different semi private working areas. The divisions are upholstered with the same carpeting which covers the floor areas thus eliminating the visual cluttering of elements so common in landscape office designs. All tables, desks, storage units, etc., are made of ash with a clear transparent natural finish. The carpeting is dark brown and all chairs are upholstered in various shades of orange. The interior space of the larger areas is divided by a central spine which distributes the air conditioning on either side. Perpendicular to the spine the ceiling height varies from a standard 2.50 mts. to 3.50 mts to coincide with each window of the facade. Thus, from the interior, each window is accentuated by a ceiling recess as wide as the window and one meter deep which contains the lighting system. A lower ceiling housing the air conditioning spine determines the general service areas such as nuclei of -file units, storage cabinets, copier, closets, etc., as well as the main force of secretaries. The different ceiling planes visually organize the basic distribution of the office as well as control the normal acoustic output.
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