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Calakmul Corporate Center, Mexico

The Calakmul Corporate Center in Mexico City is located in the affluent Sante Fe neighborhood. It was constructed in 1997 on a former junkyard and designed by architect Agustin Hernandez Navarro to represent elements of the earth and sky. The complex consists of two modernist buildings - a nine-story structure resembling a washing machine and an adjacent pyramid structure. Waterfalls flow inside the circular openings of the cube-shaped building, which houses offices, and into reflecting pools in the main plaza.

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jagadeeshwar kavuri
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23 views

Calakmul Corporate Center, Mexico

The Calakmul Corporate Center in Mexico City is located in the affluent Sante Fe neighborhood. It was constructed in 1997 on a former junkyard and designed by architect Agustin Hernandez Navarro to represent elements of the earth and sky. The complex consists of two modernist buildings - a nine-story structure resembling a washing machine and an adjacent pyramid structure. Waterfalls flow inside the circular openings of the cube-shaped building, which houses offices, and into reflecting pools in the main plaza.

Uploaded by

jagadeeshwar kavuri
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Calakmul Corporate Center, Mexico,

● The Calakmul Corporate Building is located in the Sante Fe


neighbourhood of Mexico City, and is known locally as ‘La
Lavadora’ (the washing machine).
● It was constructed in 1997 on what had been a junkyard before
being reclaimed by the city government and developed into an
affluent business district.
● It was designed by architect Agustin Hernandez Navarro to
honour the Mayan from whom the name Calakmul derives, and
incorporates elements that represent the earth and the sky
● The complex consists of two separate modernist buildings – the
nine-storey washing machine-esque structure and the adjacent
pyramidal structure.
● The separated exterior is pristine white concrete, attached to the
central commercial office building which is made of
mirrored-glass, giving the impression of a globe inside a cube.
● The corporate center in is a focal point for a new development area.
● It is integrated into the landscape with the use of architectural precast
concrete panels in an innovative form and expression.
● The pyramid-shaped building holds exhibition areas, showrooms, and a
multiple-use auditorium.
● The cube-shaped building is eight stories high, topped with a penthouse, and
is used as corporate office space.
● Waterfalls cascade onto the floor inside the circular openings of the four
walls, then flow into reflecting pools in the main plaza.
● To match the surrounding landscape and the design concept of natural stone,
a combination of white and gray crushed marble coarse aggregate and sand
with white and gray cement was crucial in giving the buildings the right color
blend.
● The architect sought texture and brightness for the desired reflection of light
by using a medium-deep surface texture achieved with pneumatic chisel
tools.
● The marble chips shone when the skin was broken off the precast concrete
panels.
● The architect also requested that slight color variation be randomly added to
the panels in order to attain the natural pyramid stone effect.
● The exteriors of the building are done up with
walls that are a pristine white.
● The glass windows provide a mirror effect to
the passersby. The clean white look of the
building seems to be apt for the shape of the
building as a washing machine.
● Just like an automatic machine with complex
structures that function on their own, this
building too has been provided with highly
intelligent complex automated functions of
security systems, telecommunications and
utilities.
● The central structure is made entirely of glass
resembling a washing machine’s see-through
unit, which is its most attractive feature.
● The glass structure in the central area is what
makes this building actually resemble a
washing machine.
● The mirror glass attracts onlookers and
provides a clear view of the activities of the
surrounding areas. La Lavadora is certainly an
iconic figure at the heart of Mexico City.

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