christ & gantenbein completes 'cerro del obispo' lookout point in mexico

the ‘cerro del obispo lookout point’, also referred to as the ‘pilgrim’s column’, by christ & gantenbein is now complete in cerro del obispo, mexico along the ruta del peregrino. one of the nine landmarks along the 117 kilometer journey from ameca to the shrine of the holy virgin of talpa in talpa de allende, this single tower of concrete rises above the craggy mountainscape. positioned upon the 2,000 meter high peak of cerro del obispo, the monolithic form takes on a bone-like shape. the undulating footprint is extruded into a 26.55 meter tall structure.

image © iwan baan (also main image) | all images courtesy of christ & gantenbein

visitors enter through a single small entrance to find daylight filtering downwards from the open roof. light enters the amoeba-shaped skylight and is diffused on the surface of the concrete walls, ultimately gathering on the floor. four protrusions which form the exterior’s shape become rounded contemplative corners.

a white monolithic tower rises above the wooded landscape
image © iwan baan

perched upon the 2,000 meter high peak of cerro del obispo
image © iwan baan

site plan

entire ruta del peregrino
image © mario vasquez

project info:

title: cerro del obispo lookout point
location: cerro del obispo
state: built
architects: christ & gantenbein
team: emanuel christ, christoph gantenbein, andrea sauter, jennifer schmachtenberg, kai timmermann

title of the whole project: pilgrim’s route
client: secretary of tourism of jalisco; secretary of tourism aurelio lopez rocha
program: pilgrim’s route masterplan
location: from ameca to talpa de allende, jalisco, mexico.
curatorial team: tatiana bilbao and derek dellekamp
masterplan and project coordination: tatiana bilbao, derek dellekamp and rozana montiel
research team: rozana montiel/periférica, adiranne montemayor, carlos zimbrón
invited architects: luis aldrete / luis aldrete | arquitectos (mexico), tatiana bilbao / tatiana bilbao s.c. (mexico),
derek dellekamp / dellekamp arquitectos (mexico), alejandro aravena / elemental (chile), emanuel christ and christoph gantenbein / christ & gantenbein (switzerland), tilo herlach, simon hartmann, simon frommenwiler / HHF architects (switzerland), rozana montiel / periférica (mexico), ai weiwei / fake design (china)
invited designers: godoylab (industrial), omar orlaineta (graphic), toa taller de operaciones ambi- entales (environmental)