flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Richard Meier unveils 'urban courtyard' scheme for Mexico City towers

Richard Meier unveils 'urban courtyard' scheme for Mexico City towers

The mixed-use project, Reforma Towers, calls for high-end offices, retail, restaurants, parking, a fitness center, and a hotel in two high-rise buildings.


By BD+C Staff | January 29, 2014

A grand atrium, reaching some 30 stories, highlights the contemporary, bright-white design scheme unveiled this week by Richard Meier & Partners for a new mixed-use development in Mexico City. 

Designed by Meier and RMP's Partner-in-Charge Bernhard Karpf, the Reforma Towers plan calls for two towers—a 27-story luxury hotel and a 40-story mixed-use building that will house offices, retail, restaurants, a fitness center, and parking—adjoined at the base by a podium structure. 

The larger tower will feature the massive atrium space, or "urban courtyard," as Karpf describes it.

"It is a celebration of space, form, and light. Natural light will filter through the void between the office modules, providing for particularly animated light conditions," said Karpf. "We have designed the surface and the volumes of the towers to take advantage of natural light, changes of scale, and views to the city."    

The void created by the grand atrium is expressed on the exterior through volumetric cut-outs, which further enhance daylight and views, and allow natural ventilation. 

Richard Meier & Partners is partnering with local firm Diametro Arquitectos on the project.

For more on Reforma Towers, visit: http://www.richardmeier.com/www/#/practice/press/releases/archive/0/806/0/

Related Stories

| Jul 1, 2013

LEGOLAND builds 12-foot replica of One World Trade Center

The LEGOLAND Discovery Center Westchester in Yonkers, N.Y., celebrated the completion of a LEGO replica of One World Trade Center by lighting the 12-foot-tall, 100-pound model.

| Jul 1, 2013

Report: Global construction market to reach $15 trillion by 2025

A new report released today forecasts the volume of construction output will grow by more than 70% to $15 trillion worldwide by 2025.

| Jul 1, 2013

Elizabeth Chu Richter, FAIA, elected 2015 AIA President

Delegates to the American Institute of Architects (AIA) national convention in Denver elected Elizabeth Chu Richter (AIA Corpus Christi) to serve as the 2014 AIA first vice president/president-elect and 2015 AIA president.

| Jun 28, 2013

Calculating the ROI of building enclosure commissioning

A researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory calls building enclosure commissioning “the single-most cost-effective strategy for reducing energy, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions in buildings today.”

| Jun 28, 2013

A brief history of windows in America

Historic window experts from Hoffmann Architects look back at the origin of windows in the U.S.

| Jun 28, 2013

Building owners cite BIM/VDC as 'most exciting trend' in facilities management, says Mortenson report

A recent survey of more than 60 building owners and facility management professionals by Mortenson Construction shows that BIM/VDC is top of mind among owner professionals. 

| Jun 27, 2013

Thermal, solar control designs can impact cooling loads by 200%, heating loads by 30%

Underestimating thermal bridging can greatly undermine a building’s performance contributing to heating load variances of up to 30% and cooling load variances of up to 200%, says the MMM Group.

| Jun 26, 2013

New York’s ‘Scaffold Law’ may be altered to place larger burden on workers

New York's Scaffold Law, which “places the burden of responsibility on the contractor to prove that the job site was safe for workers,” could be facing a major change.

| Jun 26, 2013

Commercial real estate execs eye multifamily, retail sectors for growth, says KPMG report

The multifamily, retail, and hospitality sectors are expected to lead commercial building growth, according to the 2013 KPMG Commercial Real Estate Outlook Survey. 

| Jun 25, 2013

Mirvish, Gehry revise plans for triad of Toronto towers

A trio of mixed-use towers planned for an urban redevelopment project in Toronto has been redesigned by planners David Mirvish and Frank Gehry. The plan was announced last October but has recently been substantially revised.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.



Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021