El Jardín Anatole in Mexico City by Dellekamp/Schleich

This five-storey office and commercial building is Mexico‘s first wooden construction of this size. The architects have consistently left exposed its supporting structure of laminated timber. This is particularly impressive on the second upper level, where surrounding trussed girders bear the wooden ribbed ceiling by the facades.

Wood from northern Mexico

For all the wooden supporting elements, the architects have used oak from northern Mexico. They say that the manufacturers had never before produced construction wood of this carrying capacity, a challenge that significantly delayed building progress. 

A public garden for the quarter

The new building stands in the Polanco quarter, one of the wealthiest districts west of the centre of Mexico City. Its slender shape, the facade materials and the arrangement on the lot all differ significantly from the concrete structures in the neighbourhood. Municipal building regulations stipulate that in this quarter, part of every lot must remain undeveloped. Normally, this means planted inner courtyards and private gardens. Here, however, Dellekamp/Schleich decided to move the green areas towards the road, making them accessible to the public. 

Generous glazing for the boutique

Floor-to-ceiling glazed surfaces separate the garden from the ground floor, where a luxury apparel brand has opened its shop. Only a single, V-shaped steel support, as well as an L-shaped firewall facing the neighbouring buildings, carry the load of the upper levels. The entrance area is airy and spacious, while the rear of the ground floor offers a mezzanine with additional space for rent. 

Wooden structure discernible from outside

As the building rises, its facades become increasingly closed off. On the second upper level, behind the room-high trussed girders of laminated timber, a Spanish furniture manufacturer has opened its showroom. The topmost levels, where narrow wooden posts divide the glass facades, are now home to an international producer of sports equipment: the employees may use the terrace found on the flat roof. Only the fire walls to the neighbours and the stair and lift tower at the rear of the property are made of reinforced concrete.