From residential building to cultural benchmark. QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona
01/12/2022.
[Merida] Mexico
metalocus, ADELA BONAS
metalocus, ADELA BONAS
The Mexican architecture studio Materia has been commissioned to transform a 1906 house, the “Quinta Montes Molina”, into a Cultural Center. The building is located on one of the main thoroughfares of the city, Paseo Montejo, in Merida, the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán.
The cultural activity of the house began in the year 2000 when social events began to be held in the gardens. In 2006 it opened as a museum, with an exhibition of the property's original furniture, works of art, and various artefacts.
The cultural activity of the house began in the year 2000 when social events began to be held in the gardens. In 2006 it opened as a museum, with an exhibition of the property's original furniture, works of art, and various artefacts.
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro
Ground floor plan. QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona.
Gallery and first floor plan. QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona.
Sections. QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona.
MATERIA was initially commissioned to carry out the project for a pavilion to host cultural and social events. The pavilion was later awarded the Silver Medal at the 2015 Mexico City Architecture Biennial, triggering a complete makeover of the home into a new cultural institution.
In 2016, MATERIA was commissioned for the project for the Cultural Center which took 6 years of research with similar institutions, design and construction.
The project is located behind a line of trees, with the intention of not being an object, but a series of spaces intertwined by portals and thresholds. Columns and porticos frame the views of the gardens, the pavilion and the house, creating a central courtyard that envelops a public space.
The interior program includes an art gallery, restaurant, bookstore, workshop spaces, offices, catering kitchen spaces and an art cinema (2024).
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro.
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro.
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro.In 2016, MATERIA was commissioned for the project for the Cultural Center which took 6 years of research with similar institutions, design and construction.
The project is located behind a line of trees, with the intention of not being an object, but a series of spaces intertwined by portals and thresholds. Columns and porticos frame the views of the gardens, the pavilion and the house, creating a central courtyard that envelops a public space.
The interior program includes an art gallery, restaurant, bookstore, workshop spaces, offices, catering kitchen spaces and an art cinema (2024).
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro.
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro.
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro.
Description of project by Materia
This project forms part of the original “Quinta Montes Molina” premises and property, located in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. The house was originally built in 1906 and became an architectural icon and emblem of Paseo Montejo, the most notorious avenue in the city in which most of the early-century houses were built during the sisal boom.
In 2000, the house began holding important social events in its gardens. In 2006, it also opened as a museum, displaying all of its artefacts, original furniture, and works of art. In 2015, MATERIA was commissioned to design a pavilion for holding social and cultural events, while integrating new architecture into the existing building. The pavilion was subsequently awarded the Silver Medal at the 2015 Architecture Biennale of Mexico City.
This distinction sparked a change in the vocation of the house, leading the family to become an institution with a role towards culture and community. In 2016, MATERIA was commissioned to design a parking lot at the back of the property. A series of master plan studies and analyses revealed a larger opportunity to generate value and expand the house's legacy and offer. MATERIA proposed a Cultural Center that took 6 years of planning, business modelling, finance, design, and construction. A series of travels and key visits to similar museums in the United States led to a deeper understanding of the programs and spaces that were required for the entirety of the project while establishing relevant connections with like-minded institutions.
QMM Cultural Center by Materia + Gustavo Carmona. Photograph by Jaime Navarro.
The project is set behind a line of existing old trees, supporting the aim of not being an object, but rather a series of spaces intertwined by portals and thresholds. The columns and porticoes frame views of the gardens, pavilion, and house, creating a central courtyard that envelops a public space. The architectural language is composed and expressed by the structure, communicating its tectonic assembly and creating surfaces to receive light and the projection of shadows in an ever-changing natural environment. All prefab concrete was made locally in collaboration with regional aggregates. The stone is also native to the area. The work of reveals, joinery, and detail in the concrete acts as a reinterpretation of the ornament of the house, while attesting to its mounting and fabrication method.
The interior program includes a sunken art gallery, a restaurant, a bookstore (opening Fall 2022), workshop spaces, offices, catering galley spaces, and an art cinema (2024). The art gallery serves as a transitional space between the gardens and the cultural centre´s plaza. It also holds an exterior terrace on its roof. Carving this space into the ground helped preserve the gardens' identity and open space around the house and pavilion, while also providing a passive way to manage natural light and interior cooling.
More information
Architects
MATERIA. Architect.- Gustavo Carmona
Project team
Karla Uribe, Gustavo Xoxotla, Luis Felipe Márquez, Mathías Henry, Raybel Cueva, Yaatzil Ceballos, Sandra Ciro, Teresa Berumen, Edgar Dzul, Magaly Morales, Miguel Ramírez, María Castelazo.
Collaborators
PM.- Yamil Barbosa.
Lighting Design.- Luca Salas.
Landscaping.- Gustavo Carmona + Molino Lab + Jarde.
Lighting Design.- Luca Salas.
Landscaping.- Gustavo Carmona + Molino Lab + Jarde.
General Contractor
Opresa.
Prefabricated Concrete.- Predecon.
Prefabricated Concrete.- Predecon.
Dates
Commission.- 2015.
Opening.- Fall 2022.
Opening.- Fall 2022.
Photography
Jaime Navarro.
Gustavo Carmona, Lisa Beltrán. Materia
Materia is an architectural practice founded in 2006 by Gustavo Carmona and Lisa Beltrán in Mexico City. Their projects span more than 10 countries and cover a wide range of uses, from residential to mixed-use, cultural, hospitality, and airport facilities. MATERIA has grown to become one of the most important emerging architecture studios in Latin America fueled by a strong team and a unique creative culture.
Gustavo Carmona (Mexico City, 1975) studied architecture at the Universidad Anahuac in Mexico City. After Graduating he worked with Mexican architect Francisco Serrano for 2 years. In 2001 he started his Master’s degree in Architecture at Arizona State University where he met and was a student of Wendell Burnette and Claudio Vekstein. The experience of living in a desert landscape paired with his interest in light and phenomenology became a fertile ground for his practice nowadays. As a graduate, he lived in San Francisco and worked at SmithGroup JJR. In late 2007 he moved back to Mexico City and founded MATERIA with his wife and architect Lisa Beltran.
Lisa Beltran, (Puerto Rico) Architect from the University of Puerto Rico (1995-199). In 2001 she began her Master of Architecture at Arizona State University (2001-2003). At the end of 2007, she moved to Mexico City and founded MATERIA with her husband and architect Gustavo Carmona. She is currently the project director / main design partner of the Materia Arquitectónica studio.
Gustavo Carmona (Mexico City, 1975) studied architecture at the Universidad Anahuac in Mexico City. After Graduating he worked with Mexican architect Francisco Serrano for 2 years. In 2001 he started his Master’s degree in Architecture at Arizona State University where he met and was a student of Wendell Burnette and Claudio Vekstein. The experience of living in a desert landscape paired with his interest in light and phenomenology became a fertile ground for his practice nowadays. As a graduate, he lived in San Francisco and worked at SmithGroup JJR. In late 2007 he moved back to Mexico City and founded MATERIA with his wife and architect Lisa Beltran.
Lisa Beltran, (Puerto Rico) Architect from the University of Puerto Rico (1995-199). In 2001 she began her Master of Architecture at Arizona State University (2001-2003). At the end of 2007, she moved to Mexico City and founded MATERIA with her husband and architect Gustavo Carmona. She is currently the project director / main design partner of the Materia Arquitectónica studio.
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