CRO studios: public library wins award, gets hijacked

‘modulo prep library / house of ideas’ by CRO studios, tijuana, mexicoimage © CRO studios

in the infamous little town of tijuana in northern mexico, local practice CRO studios have created a public digital library for the community,‘the modulo prep library (house of ideas)’ so that the residents would have free access to a center for social activities, up-to-date educational facilities,a library of reading material, study areas, conference rooms, an outdoor amphitheater (with the possibility of projecting video on a specifically designedportion of the structure) and an improved section of the urban fabric of the city, all built under a budget of 130,000 dollars. the white exterior surface gives a touch of modernity to its aging context, a beautiful simplicity highlighted by taller angular components and engrained triangular tiled tessellations. the structure becomes a playground for all ages, with just as much use around the exterior as in the interior. the project has landed the architects the P/A award (progressive architecture award) for their altruistic efforts to better the local quality of life.

architects marcel sanchez and adriana cuellar explain the crux of their project:

‘these zones were built irregularly, they weren’t designed or planned. when people have access to these services it’s an investment. we think the project provides a space to start a conversation between people on how public and social spaces lead to the betterment of society.’ – sanchez

‘one of the things we believe in about our space is how the design and its visibility can influence the behavior of people. it’s an area with a lot of vitality. it’s a small thing with a big impact. you can plant a small seed and it grows and grows and transforms.’ – cuellar

entryimage © CRO studios

side viewimage © CRO studios

image © CRO studios

the story does not end here, however. upon visiting the site to check upon the final progress of the construction, marcel sanchez was met with a newlyerected chain-link fence and a security guard that refused his entry onto the premises. the public project had been hijacked by PRI deputy rosana sotowho assumed ownership of the building and declared it the ‘house of the unemployed.’ an employee working for the deputy remains outside of the barrieroffering bread and coffee to any citizen that approaches the structure, promising the possibility of employment in exchange for writing down their personaldetails and contact information. she also invites the public to the building’s inauguration this saturday, march 23rd.as the project was realized usingresources from the federal government through SEDESOL (the secretariat of social development), it seems the authorities are using this fact to reclaim the edifice for their own use. the ‘camino verde’ neighborhood is fighting the corruption using the official government document stating the approval of the building for its original function and use by the community, but the outcome remains to be seen.

(left) architect marcel sanchez confronts the security guard(right) state worker offers bread and coffeeimage courtesy of sintesis-tv news report