ARCO (cc)

ARCO: A New Refreshing Collaborative Art, Design & Architecture Space in Mexico City

as Architects

ARCO CC is a cultural company within a historic 1930s house, the project brings together art, design, and architecture to become a collaborative space, home to the architecture office WORC and the specialized furniture studio VETA.

Located in San Miguel Chapultepec, a neighborhood full of history, characterized by residences that have been preserved over time. Eyes are drawn to buildings steeped in stories and character, endowing the surroundings with artistic value. The architecture embraces time, merging the past and present, radiating in every corner.

Beside it lies the “Circuito Interior,” which in the past was a majestic avenue. With an exuberant median and colossal trees, this internal artery exuded a unique greenery that remains present in the place’s memory. The threshold of a house reveals the essence of a bygone era, where cedar woodwork bears witness to ancient memories and retains an aroma that embraces the past.

The idea of revitalizing this residence into a multicultural space, intended for both presentation and artistic narrative, was born out of a chance encounter among friends and family. The space offers appropriate environments for the production, demonstration, and interaction of visual arts, design, architecture, and entertainment. The restoration of this architectural gem involved the sensitivity to appreciate and consolidate the details that gave character to the residence. Signs of wear and tear from the past were reflected in ceramic floors and paint that had lost their luster.

The intervention and recovery proposal set out to restore authenticity to each stroke and to revive the original elements, creating a symphony of past and present where the fusion of architectural history, green spaces, and fine materials compose the project. Livable quality, an essential premise, is evident in every corner, where time and design converge in authenticity.

A general criterion was established, where each stroke, each arch, and window, becomes part of a visual narrative that traverses the house with an elegant horizontal line. Where arches did not exist, the walls told their own story, forming a clear language between memory and the present. The kitchen transformed into a space where modern services flowed, adapted with sensitivity to the aesthetics of yesteryear. Illumination unfolded in the original moldings, preserving their mystery and adding value to the transformative character of the space. The walls, bearing the scars of time, narrated their story in every imperfection.

The final result is composed of continuity and authenticity. Every corner is a tribute to history. The doors and windows underwent meticulous restoration work, becoming protagonists of the project. The original purpose of turning the house into a habitable space took on a life of its own. It became a creation where furniture and architecture intertwine stories.

The facade restoration was meticulously executed. The ceramics, a palette of colors that stands out yet blends into the urban environment. The ironwork, delicately cleaned, revealed its original beauty. The entrance welcomes you with an enlargement. On the ground floor, there is a livable showroom displaying the collaborative work of the offices, consisting of a dining room, bedroom, and a courtyard with a fountain. The next level is dedicated to the offices, as witnesses to a fruitful collaboration. Finally, the second floor becomes the backdrop for meetings, culminating in the terrace, a multifunctional space that offers a green corner to the city. ARCO (cc) stands as a beacon of creativity and design, where time blurs and the boundaries between past and present fade away.