Rooftop Prim Coverage
The project is located on the rooftop of an early twentieth-century palace where cultural and festive events are held, in the center of Mexico City. In order to prevent the occasional rains to interrupt the activities organized in the courtyards, the owner of the property required to cover the three existing patios.
Photography by © Onnis Luque
Instead of making three independent interventions, we generated one single proposal: a continuous roof structure, measuring more than 50 meters in length, connecting the patios in a straight line, and generating new covered surfaces in between the patios.
The structure consists of 45 lightweight metal trusses, each 1.2 m apart, dividing the weight evenly over the existing construction and accentuating rhythm and perspective along the roof. The triangular roof section is designed asymmetrically so that one side could incorporate a covered circulation. Photography by © Onnis Luque
Light and industrialized synthetic materials such as the PVC deck, polycarbonate sheets, or the railings made of nylon nets, seek to reduce the weight of the construction and generate a strong contrast with the materiality of the historic building.
Two different types of polycarbonate were used (translucent and transparent), to filter the sunlight, while allowing to see the sky from the courtyards. Additionally, textile screens (borrowed from the agricultural industry) are integrated into specific places to mitigate solar incidence...