A historical setting with an enormous cultural and architectural heritage, Mexico City protects in its “
magical neighborhoods ” the neighborhood of Tacuba, located in the northwest of the city center, where vestiges forged in
different eras can still be found today. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Tacuba became one of the
wealthiest areas of the city , with large country houses that, over time and with different political changes, were abandoned and many were demolished. However, among these remains,
the house of “Mar Mediterráneo 34” remained .
Built in 1910 in an
eclectic French style belonging to the Porfiriato era, the house is currently considered a historical landmark by the National Institute of Fine Arts and the National Institute of Anthropology and History. The project began with the proposal to
give new life to a house designed with two volumes , in which the first incorporates the main façade and the second overlooks the main courtyard, although
both were in advanced deterioration and the second volume was in ruins. The restoration and intervention on the original elements of the period focused on
giving them a new materiality . Thus, the multiple artistic and artisanal elements of the main façade were recovered, as well as the carved stonework on the balconies and lintels, the iron railings, the large windows and the glass tiles, with the aim of
rehabilitating the new urban image .
The restored house has
3 floors with
7 apartments that adapt to different flexible spaces (loft, studio, family apartment and
penthouse ); which interact with views of the historical elements in the main courtyard and in the two additional courtyards, of smaller proportions, with a tree surrounded by trellises.
The project aims
to merge what prevails and what is reborn through a linear connection between two eras ; a connection that is also reflected through the perception of access through a volcanic stone skirting board that surrounds the entire ground floor and functions as a base to elevate what has resurfaced. Check out more photos of the project in the gallery below:
