matteo ghidoni & enrico dusi's ROOM holds memory of mexico city's origin

architects matteo ghidoni and enrico dusi have created ROOM, a public installation in mexico city. the 43 square meter, concrete block construction forms a triangle, broken by the insertion of two circles of different sizes. the larger of the two sits a few centimeters above the ground with a diameter of two meters — making it a comfortable size to function as an entrance. visitors are able to enter at the base of the sand hill, within, that culminates in a series of planted cacti. from the surrounding sidewalk, the smaller of the two circular cutouts sits above eye level, but from within the shape functions as a porthole with a diameter of 60 centimeters. the bright pink interior further indicates the interior space’s separation from the surrounding city — forming a tiny natural oasis on a busy commercial street.

matteo ghidoni and enrico dusi have designed a triangular pavilion for a commercial street
image © juan benavides

unlike in the interior, matteo ghidoni, of salottobuono, and enrico dusi chose to leave the exterior bricks without decoration — meaning that these surfaces could be used by the community and those that interact directly with the structure. ‘the ROOM includes certain things and excludes others: it separates an interior from an exterior space. it produces a small region where the urban pressure of mexico city is both absorbed and provisionally suspended,’ describe the designers. ‘inside, a silent ‘fragment of desert’ holds the memory of the origin of the city. it doesn’t suggest any specific activity, nor tries to foresee them. its gentle slope is generous enough to accept the unpredictable.’

the circular entrance leads visitors into a sand filled, pink interior
image © juan benavides

the ROOM, as a tiny artifact, was intended to stay, but was also designed to be dismantled rather than demolished. this allows the construction materials to be reused for other potential building projects if needed — preserving aspects of the work in a productive way, rather than simply moving the installation to a new location. this gesture changes the meaning of the installation entirely.

the circular entrance has a diameter of 2 meters
image © luis gallardo of LGM studio

the walls are built with concrete blocks that can be reused if the pavilion needs to be dismantled
image © LGM studio & luis gallardo

the sand creates a steep hill that leads up to a group of planted cacti
image © LGM studio & luis gallardo

the outside walls were intended for public use and decoration
image © LGM studio & luis gallardo

the installation functions as a ‘fragment of desert’
image © LGM studio & luis gallardo

project info:

design team: matteo ghidoni and enrico dusi
collaborators: arin alia, matteo bassi, roxani maragkoudaki
photos of the competition model: louis de belle
engineering consultant: sinergo spa
constructor: factor eficiencia

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