Traditional typologies: a | 911 and Aecom’s barn-inspired Platah Pavilion, Mexico

Mexican architecture practice a | 911 and Aecom, an engineering, consulting and project management firm, have unveiled their latest offering: the Platah Pavilion. The 127,000 sq ft construction is located in the Plataforma Logística de Hidalgo, a large industrial development situated two hours north of Mexico City.

The clients, Artha Capital, specialise in the development, acquisition and operation of real estate. The pavilion was designed to house the firm’s access control centre, administration offices and showrooms.

The building’s horizontal volume stretches out in a telescopic manner, reaching 295 ft in length. Its simple form was directly inspired by the traditional typology of a barn and designed with the intention of connecting the large structure to its surrounding context.

The complex’s landscape design is centred around the local climate and vegetation, and consists of a series of beams gravel strips, stone walls and xerophyte vegetation gardens. These additions provide a welcome dose of life and vibrancy to the building’s desolate backdrop.

When entering the property, guests arrive at the reception area, which leads through to a number of spacious communal working areas, meeting rooms, private spaces and exhibition rooms.

The building’s longitudinal form is fashioned from a simple steel structure and cladded with black corrugated sheeting, which allowed for a short construction period. The internal program is diverse, containing a multitude of large spaces in varying sizes. The architects devised the internal structure by ‘shifting geometries’ to create numerous open areas which are equipped with an abundance of natural light and far stretching vistas.