Californian studio Belzberg Architects has built a concrete culinary school in Mexico City, offering a range of facilities to the local Jewish community, including rooftop yoga and art galleries.

The 650-square-metre Taller Estrella Jafif is located in Bosques de las Lomas neighbourhood, where a large majority of the city's Jewish community moved to between the 1950s and 80s.
The brief given to Santa Monica-based Belzberg Architects was to provide local residents with a cookery school that conforms to Jewish religious dietary laws, known as kosher.

As the project developed, the firm decided that the building should also become a hub of cultural and sports activity for its users.
"The building's programme expanded to provide the surrounding community with a venue for small events and gatherings," said Belzberg Architects. "In addition to offering kosher cooking classes, the space hosts art exhibitions, yoga classes, large catered celebrations and a variety of other activities, allowing the neighbours to stay local rather than travel miles through Mexico City's protracted traffic."

The cookery school occupies the ground floor of the building, wrapping around a central courtyard. The kitchen is placed towards the front of the building, with glass doors offering views to and from the adjoining dining room.

Concrete walls are imprinted by vertical wooden planks, and are complemented by exposed concrete beams and rough wooden flooring. These stripped-b...