A barrel vault rooftop adds drama to these homes in Mexico City

Mariano Azuela 194's barrel vault rooftop makes it stand out in its Mexico City neighbourhood, Santa Maria la Ribera. The design, a housing scheme by studio Bloqe Arquitetura, was conceived to offer something different and fun to its urban context, while anchoring it to its locale and the opportunity of long city views of the Mexican capital to its lucky residents.

Explore Mariano Azuela 194 and its barrel vault rooftop

The project's most dramatic feature, its rooftop design, takes its cues from the surrounding area's rich heritage. The shapes and scale nods to the architecture of the early twentieth century, which dominates this part of town, the architecture team explains.

At the same time, the design's four round features and the building's two circulation cores compose a block of apartments that sits in harmony within its urban fabric and existing built environment. The four barrel vaults not only add the opportunity for outdoor space and spatial drama to the homes; they also add to the overall building's dynamism.

Beyond its dominant residential element on the upper levels, the complex also contains commercial spaces on the ground floor. This allows it to seamlessly connect with street life and the wider community in Santa Maria la Ribera.

In a similar way to the way the overall volume's shapes and proportions were crafted, Bloqe's main material palette takes its cues from traditional for the area Mexican architecture and craft. Natural colours, marble, earthy render finishes and artisanal screens make for a textured environment that creates a strong sense of place.

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