A conversation pit with built in book shelves inside a refurbished ice factory in the industrial district of Atlampa, Mexico City.
A collaboration project with Javier Sanchez Arquitectos www.jsa.com.mx
Fabrica de Hielo is the location of a new architecture studio located inside an old ice factory within a manufacturing district of Mexico City. The interior of the existing structure was gutted and converted into an office with room for work spaces, display shelves, and a meeting area. Wood was the main material used in the construction of the conversation pit, the surrounding floor, and its interior support frame.
The geometry of the octagon comes from the existing concrete work that was inside the original ice factory. These octagons were used in the manufacturing process and storage of large quantities of ice. During the renovation process all of the existing octagons were covered with wood planks to make room for the new office work spaces. The one area that was left open was converted into a metting space.
To access the conversation pit from the new elevated floor a set of stairs was built into the octagon shape. Inside the pit there are 3 lounge areas for seating and 4 areas for book storage. The book area has moveable shelves which allow for the storage of various sizes of magazines and publications. The lounge areas have soft seating cushions allowing for maximum confront during sitting.
