Mario Cardenas - Architecture Portfolio

SITE ANALYSIS
City Theater
Meridiano Tower
CONCEPT
Wind torrents coming from Southeast carry
containments from the city (recommended
to use elements to filter the air and improve
its quality)
Located in Monterrey Center, Notary College takes on a task to bring back life to an
unused building that seeks to be restored and become a new cluster of activity that
enhances the life expectancy of the building.
Sunlight from this direction is considered the
best, since it doesn’t warm up the areas given
the indirect exposure.
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E
S
Mariano Matamoros Street
Jose Maria Coss Street
Direction from which the building receives more
punishment during afternoon (recommended to
use vertical louvers to mitigate sun exposure)
Project original condition
W
Los Dulces Nombres Chappel
Greatest Sun exposure from South (recommended
using horizontal louvers or elements to
mitigate the exposure)
Rigid elements with no openings prevent natural
ventilation and lighting passing
Top volumes punish the spatial richness and the
way the building is experienced
Narrow sidewalks offer no protection against
both daily weather and vehicles
Image taken from Google Earth
Challenged with restoring itself without a disregard of its past, the new proposal
seeks to create a time transition in which the future dialogues in peace with the past,
by respecting its proportions and materials and giving a new interpretation of the
building in modern day times.
Jose Maria Coss Street
Mariano Matamoros Street
Given the project is divided into two independent buildings
there is no connection between them, therefore for them to
as one is impossible in their original condition.
The project is made up by three volumes that once isolated, today become a restored
complex in which they act as an unified building serving to many activities
that guarantee the spatial flexibility of every space.
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During the design phase, concepts such as spatial diversity and transparency where
crucial to create the scenario desired.
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Giving that the building is born out of traditional architecture. Every piece added to it
had to be in synchrony with the language of architectural context around it, paying
attention to proportions, heights and colors without failing in creating a modern
project.
IDENTIFY PRE-EXISTING BUILDINGS
AND MAJOR AREAS
1.Superior Level of a former
government building (it more recently
served as a nightclub but
is abandoned nowadays).
2. Lower level of a former government
building and Colegio de
Notarios.
3. Warehouse (completely disconnected
from the other two
buildings).
ELIMINATE ELEMENTS THAT AFFECT NEGA-
TIVELY THE BUILDINGS
Elimination of top volumes that hinder
buildings performance and add
weight the original structure without
providing anything of quality in return.
By freeing the central openings,
natural ventilation and lighting is permitted
to pass, making more efficient
the operation of both volumes and
improving the quality of the space.
RESTORE THE ESSENCE OF THE
BUILDINGS
Circulations inside the buildings
are proposed around the courtyard
to pay homage to their
original function. Inner Courtyard
are restored and given a different
face, to diversify the spatial offer
inside the project, to do so, elements
such as walls and stairs
had to be removed, without damaging
the essence of the area.
UNIFY THE BUILDINGS
Once the elements that hindered
the performance of the building
were eliminated and the core of
the two buildings were restored,
making a connection between
them was imperative as the main
goal remained turning two separated
things into one. An opening
in the walls is open to create a
transition and connection between
them.
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