HOTEL CENTRO

Location: Guadalajara, Mexico
Architect/Designer: ARKE
Design Team: Carlos Alegria, Katherine Moya, Elcin Ertugrul, Joaquin E. Boldrini
Year: 2011

Hotel Centro was our response to an international competition which objective was to complete the perimeter of Plaza Guadalajara in Mexico respecting the historical context while at the same time proposing a modern element to the city.

Our inspiration was based on the foundational act of the Latin-American city which lies on its 100x100mts square, a perfect geometric square, an homogenizer act that propagates the square regularly to dominate its geographical context. The main plaza of every city defines the origin point of the grid, and constitutes the orientation matrix.

On a human scale the public program of the hotel integrates and blends with the surrounding building arcades by including active programs and daily flow of tourists.The street level is treated with continuous gazing elements to respond to this program.

The proposed materiality is taken from the square’s hardscape and stone tectonics which is the dominant and traditional element of the old Guadalajara's downtown. The geometric-tectonic strategy, consist of 3 operations; Permeable Podium – glazed public facade, Rooms – abstract volume, with White stone cladding, Vertical Perforated Screen – contextual element, with local Stone cladding. The gesture of angled glazing surface inscribed on each frame responds to the recognition of the Square and the Cathedral as identity elements.

HOTEL CENTRO

HOTEL CENTRO

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