Monolithic blocks of stone mimic man-made quarry landscapes for Grupo Arca’s showroom and cultural centre in Guadalajara, Mexico, designed by Esrawe Studio. The complex is designed to promote culture and education over business transactions, with a focus on Mexican architecture, design and fine arts.
A quarry is the evidence of man’s action on nature; a manufactured landscape created in search of raw materials. The nature of this landscape nourishes the concept behind the Grupo Arca’s showroom and warehouse. Rectangular cut-outs on the building’s facade reveal a layer of ocean blue travertine underneath the black concrete exterior cladding.
Visitors access the building through a small opening in the monolithic facade and are led down a narrow corridor to the central internal courtyard. The access in the monolithic facade links the visitor with the monumental central space, the Agora.