Centro Cultural Tlalpan

The proposal focuses on circulation and the space for encounter. It unfolds in two moments: first, the reuse and restoration of the existing buildings; and second, the introduction of a new steel structure that reactivates the site as a whole. This structure is composed of two roofs, two balconies, a staircase, a bridge, and six structural columns that, beyond supporting the roofs, contain the programmatic elements that bring the project to life.

The first roof —the smaller one— is placed above the annex, creating an open plan that houses a collaborative workspace rather than two additional apartments. This co-working area completes the program of the Cultural Center, helping to keep it active for longer hours.

Users can rent a desk by the day, week, month, or through an annual membership. The space can operate as both a shared office and a library. Its large window visually connects with the upper terrace of the main house, and by not being residential units, it preserves the privacy needed for the different parts of the complex to function properly. Since the annex is intended to generate consistent income for the Cultural Center, this co-working space ensures a more stable and higher monthly revenue than the rental of two small apartments. At the same time, it remains flexible enough to function, when required, as a direct extension of the Cultural Center —hosting workshops, conferences, or various activities at specific times, expanding the potential and use of the complex.

The two balconies are attached to the façade of the existing annex, forming terraces for both the co-working space and the apartments on the second level. These terraces are supported by one of the columns —a two-meter-wide circular column — that contains a spiral staircase providing access to the upper apartments while also acting as a privacy screen for the four existing units on the lower floors of the annex.

The second roof covers most of the proposed terrace, activating the rooftop of the main house and nearly the entire corridor and terrace of the mezzanine level on the ground floor. The result is a series of double and triple-height spaces that create visual and spatial continuity between levels. Together with the main staircase, which connects the mezzanine of the ground floor to the rooftop terrace, these elements integrate the project fluidly. These roofs are not pergolas; they are opaque, designed to cast deep shade, collect rainwater, and host the solar and photovoltaic panels required for the project.

Next to the main staircase stands another column —a three-stop elevator that links the ground floor, the mezzanine gallery level, and the rooftop terrace of the main house.

Three smaller columns, each fifty centimeters in diameter, are also introduced. One of them is purely structural and positioned at a crossing of existing load-bearing walls. The other two extend to the patios, functioning as downspouts for rainwater collected from the roofs.

The principal column is located in the rear corner room of the old house, where the former stairway connected to the annex and where the main bedroom and bathroom once stood. This column, 3.6 meters in diameter and 8.2 meters tall, contains three interior levels: the ground floor houses a café that serves the main level; between the cylinder and the surrounding room, a stair leads to the second level, which holds the administrative office; and the third level is divided into two halves, accommodating the upper-level bathroom and another café that opens onto the rooftop terrace. Both cafés  are connected by a small service lift used to move trays and supplies between them.

Beside this column is a small bridge —the only connection to the co-working space on top of the annex. This link makes the workspace public, directly connected to the Cultural Center, while preserving the privacy of the rear courtyard and the four apartments.

These are the elements that shape the project.

Interventions on the main façade will be minimal; it will be preserved almost entirely as it is, requiring only cleaning of a few elements. The interior of the house will be restored with subtle adjustments: rooms will be painted white and lit with museum-style track systems and framing projectors of different optics, allowing flexibility for exhibitions, talks, dinners, or events. Fixed furniture, the mezzanine, the kitchen, and the floor level difference in room no. 4 will be removed to create a unified surface. The most significant transformation occurs in the corner room, where the existing staircase, upper-level bathroom, and ground-floor room will be demolished to make way for the column containing the café and the office.

From this room, there is direct access to the rear courtyard —belonging to the apartments but also usable as an extension of the café and kitchen for catering or special events.

The underground cellar will be converted into the main restrooms of the complex, addressing one of the project’s key functional needs. Its small private courtyard will include a pair of comfortable benches designed for rest and contemplation, together with a discreet, lightweight partition that reinforces the boundary between public and private spaces —in other words, the natural threshold between the rear courtyard and the four apartments located within the annex.

The annex will not be demolished; its structure will be maintained and its façade lightly adapted to accommodate the four apartments —two on the ground floor and two on the upper level.

We propose not only to manage these four units but also to operate and service them entirely —meaning that the rental of each apartment includes full maintenance and cleaning, avoiding external contracts and keeping the focus on the integrated operation of the entire complex.

The Cultural Center already has the spaces needed to exhibit art, host talks, dinners, or conferences. What it lacks are the circulations and roof structures that activate the complex and create the complementary —and perhaps most essential— spaces: those where people can meet, share a coffee, send an email, read a book, or simply spend the day. This proposal is centered on creating precisely that: a space for encounter.