A social core in the center of Toluca. San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol
11/03/2021.
[Toluca] Mexico
metalocus, GONZALO GARCÍA MORENO
metalocus, GONZALO GARCÍA MORENO
The architecture studio FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol has developed a mixed-use infrastructure capable of concentrating the diverse cultural, commercial, and office activity that is dispersed around it in the same space in the center of Toluca de Lerdo, the capital of the State of Mexico City.
The project is located at the intersection between the Historic District of the city and the University located in the southern area of Toluca and was born with one objective, which is the creation of a social condenser capable of hosting different community programs to revitalize that area.
The project is located at the intersection between the Historic District of the city and the University located in the southern area of Toluca and was born with one objective, which is the creation of a social condenser capable of hosting different community programs to revitalize that area.
San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol. Photograph by LGM Studio
San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol. Photograph by LGM Studio
San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol. Photograph by LGM Studio
San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol. Photograph by LGM Studio
San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol. Photograph by LGM Studio
San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol. Photograph by LGM Studio
San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol. Photograph by LGM Studio
San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol. Photograph by LGM Studio
San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol. Photograph by LGM Studio
San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol. Photograph by LGM Studio
San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol. Photograph by LGM Studio
San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol. Photograph by LGM Studio
Project floor plan. San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol
Section. San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol
Section. San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol
Axonometry. San José Station by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol
The project designed by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol is an exposed concrete structure composed of overlap of planes that will host the aforementioned community programs. In addition, the structure when raised provides views, both far and near, of the city of Toluca and that allow a continuous visual relationship between interior and exterior spaces.
The concrete structure of the complex manages to give it character thanks to the clean geometry with which it rises and is arranged as a field of screened pillars that support a series of thin beams on which continuous slabs are folded to accommodate the parking. This entire exposed concrete structure is elegantly covered with a light veil of white lightweight metal.
The concrete structure of the complex manages to give it character thanks to the clean geometry with which it rises and is arranged as a field of screened pillars that support a series of thin beams on which continuous slabs are folded to accommodate the parking. This entire exposed concrete structure is elegantly covered with a light veil of white lightweight metal.
Description of project by FRPO Rodriguez & Oriol
Juarez 204, Toluca
Estacion San Jose is a mixed-use infrastructure in the city center of Toluca de Lerdo, the capital city of the Estado de Mexico, the most populated entity of the whole Mexican Republic.
The project is placed in the northern edge of Avenida Juarez, which links Toluca’s Historic District with the University area to the south., and arises as an opportunity to concentrate the disperse activity around this neighborhood and create a new cultural, economic and activity hub, both at local and metropolitan levels, a social condenser with the goal of revitalizing the central area of the city, overlapping community programs: car park, office and co-working areas, cultural and commercial spaces… coronated with a public-access garden at the rooftop with spectacular views of the great Nevado de Toluca.
A flexible infrastructure
The result is a very flexible infrastructure that expects to be occupied by different types of users.
A naked concrete super-structure with a clean, meaningful geometry relates to the urban surroundings, rising above and overlooking them, both closely and beyond. The structural frame gives character and unifies the complex, arranged as a field of pillars supporting a double family of slender beams. Over them, continuous slabs are folded to create the parking area and are further perforated to generate diagonal relations and vertical spaces. A gentle lightweight metallic skin encloses the resulting volume, framing the most appreciated views: the Cathedral, the Cosmovitral and the Nevado de Toluca.
More information
Architects
Project team
Project leaders.- Pablo Oriol, Fernando Rodríguez.
Collaborators
Collaborators.- Ricardo Gonzalez, Francisco Díaz, Ana Suárez-Anta, Esther Ibáñez, Jaime Hortal. Consultants.- Axiom Ingeniería, Pablo Urbano, Antemio Vargas. Models.- FRPO, Ctrl X.
Area
6,300sqm.
Dates
Project start.- November of 2015. Start of work.- April of 2017. End of work.- November of 2020.
Location
Juarez 204, Toluca, Mexico.
Photography
Fernando Rodríguez, Pablo Oriol. FRPO
FRPO (2008) is an architecture office based in Madrid directed by Fernando Rodriguez and Pablo Oriol, internationally recognized with the Architectural Record Design Vanguard (New York, 2012), Europe 40 under 40 (2009) and Bauwelt Preis (Berlin, 2007) awards, among others. Their work has also received prestigious awards, such as the selection for the Architectural Review Emerging Architecture Awards (2019), the FAD Awards (2019), the Spanish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2016, Golden Lion), the nomination for the Mies van der Rohe Awards (2015), the IX and XII Spanish Biennials of Architecture and Urbanism (2007 and 2013), or the V and IX Ibero-American Biennials of Architecture and Urbanism (2006 and 2014).
FRPO’s work has been widely published, and its proposals have been disseminated through articles, lectures, and frequent exhibitions, both nationally and internationally.
Trained as architects at the ETSAM in Madrid, at the IIT in Chicago and the TU Berlin, Pablo Oriol and Fernando Rodriguez are professors in the Department of Architectural Design at the ETSAM UPM, as well as regular guests at various national and foreign universities.
Fernando Rodríguez holds a PhD in Architecture since 2015. He studied architecture at UPM ETSAM in Madrid and at the Technische Universität Berlin, between 1995 and 2003. He has collaborated in MVRDV and has been Invited Critic with Kees Christiaanse at the TU Berlin. He worked as a project architect for Abalos & Herreros in 2004. He is a lecturer at the Architectural Design Department of UPM ETSAM and at the IE University.
Pablo Oriol studied architecture at UPM ETSAM and the IIT College of Architecture in Chicago, between 1995 and 2005. He was Cultural Activities Curator for the General Department of Architecture of the Ministry of Public Works for the ETSAM and the Cervantes Institute between 1999 and 2002. He was part of the redaction team of the magazine Arquitectura Viva in 2006. He is PhD candidate and lecturer at the Architectural Design Department of UPM ETSAM and at the IE University.
In 2005 Fernando Rodriguez and Pablo Oriol were founding partners of Nolaster Oficina de Arquitectura, where they developed their professional activity until 2007. In 2008 they established FRPO as a natural evolution of their previous professional experiences.
FRPO’s work has been widely published, and its proposals have been disseminated through articles, lectures, and frequent exhibitions, both nationally and internationally.
Trained as architects at the ETSAM in Madrid, at the IIT in Chicago and the TU Berlin, Pablo Oriol and Fernando Rodriguez are professors in the Department of Architectural Design at the ETSAM UPM, as well as regular guests at various national and foreign universities.
Fernando Rodríguez holds a PhD in Architecture since 2015. He studied architecture at UPM ETSAM in Madrid and at the Technische Universität Berlin, between 1995 and 2003. He has collaborated in MVRDV and has been Invited Critic with Kees Christiaanse at the TU Berlin. He worked as a project architect for Abalos & Herreros in 2004. He is a lecturer at the Architectural Design Department of UPM ETSAM and at the IE University.
Pablo Oriol studied architecture at UPM ETSAM and the IIT College of Architecture in Chicago, between 1995 and 2005. He was Cultural Activities Curator for the General Department of Architecture of the Ministry of Public Works for the ETSAM and the Cervantes Institute between 1999 and 2002. He was part of the redaction team of the magazine Arquitectura Viva in 2006. He is PhD candidate and lecturer at the Architectural Design Department of UPM ETSAM and at the IE University.
In 2005 Fernando Rodriguez and Pablo Oriol were founding partners of Nolaster Oficina de Arquitectura, where they developed their professional activity until 2007. In 2008 they established FRPO as a natural evolution of their previous professional experiences.
