PANAMERICAN GAMES 2011

The neighbourhood in Guadalajara designated for redevelopment for the Panamerican Games...

THE RUSTY TROMBONE

A late night site visit to artist-founded bar, the Rusty Trombone (named after a sexual act). Artist Jose Davila studied architecture in Gaudalajara and recently exhibited in the Berlin exhibition Megastructure Reloaded. He was part of the Incidental collective (1996-99) and started Guadalajara's contemporary art space OPA in 2002 with Gonzalez Lebrija.
Founder of the Rusty Trombone and OPA, artist Gonzalez Lebrija, with interior designer girlfriend Regina Vizlaino.

Guadalajara's top florist, Alejandra Gómez, currently designing her new store.

AN ARCHITECT'S HOME

An afternoon salon with architect, teacher and mentor Sergio Ortiz. Also present were Patricio Arce, Chely Gomez, theorist Leonardo Diaz-Borioli and Thomas Watkin (from Collectif OOB, an international collective exploring architecture, politics and social sciences). Ortiz, and the house he designed, was featured in Wallpaper feature on Guadalajara in 2003 by Pablo Leon de la Barra.






From left: Chely Gomez, Thomas Watkin, Leonardo Diaz-Borioli, Patricio Arce, Sergio Ortiz

LEAP

LEAP have been leading on public space planning in downtown Guadalajara, including an urban study of the historic centre and the re-landscaping of Diagonal Alameda (to be completed later in 2009).

SPRB

GENERARQUITECTOS

Arnoldo Rabago (28) started Generarquitectos at the end of 2006 after a stint at Zaha Hadid. The practice is receiving large commissions for stadiums, hospitals and a mausoleum, and has recently completed a new road / public space through the JVC centre in Guadalajara (below).

S2 / CITA

Alfredo Hidalgo runs S2 studio and CITA, an agency for contemporary architecture and urbanism in Guadalajara. CITA run annual conferences and art projects.

BUILDO

Manuel Vizcaino designed his first house at 23 before coming to the AA. He has a background in finance and started Buildo in 2002. The designs are computer based, which are then adapted to local building conditions to create a dialogue between high and low tech. This aesthetic is proving successful with luxury villas being snapped up by Mexican celebrities and soccer players.

The practice is also at the forefront of environmental design in Guadalajara. Manuel is collaborating with Patricio Arce on an energy efficient shopping centre that has caught the eye of HSBC - the bank has approached them to create a strategy to roll out 200 small scale eco-banks across Mexico.

Manuel and Patricio are also collaborating on a 12km street refubishment of Lopes Cotilla in downtown Guadalajara for the municipal government.

Buildo's office (below) was designed by Manuel with his father, a more traditional architect, and is a modern extension to an older building.






Breakfast with Manuel Vizcaino at Cafe Barra Cafe, a building he had originally designed at 28 for a local florist.

COLECTIVO GUAYABA

The collective was started almost as as hobby by a group of young architects and graphic designers to pursue ideas and that were not being satisfied in their dayjobs. They meet once a week to discuss whatever is on their mind and the office has a small multi-disciplinary staff to deliver projects. The formula is working. They have been selected to design two of the new residential buildings for the Panamerican Games taking place in Guadalajara in 2011.

A model of one of the buildings for the Panamerican Games.

The front lawn / cactus garden.

ONE NIGHT IN DE LA PENA

Overnight stay in a classic modernist house in Guadalajara.

GUADALAJARA

My guides to Guadalajara, Patricio Arce and Chely Gómez...