a quarry and a warehouse designed by esrawe studio showcase material library in guadalajara

driven by the captivating nature of the project’s surrounding landscape, mexican architects esrawe studio conceived the showroom for grupo arca. the architects designed a sculptural building for an elegant retail experience in guadalajara, mexico that highlights the project’s raw materials and the company’s attractive stones. the designers also integrated technology into the project to capture visitors’ behavior and their interest in the different materials.  

image by genevieve lutkin

the architects created an access through a small opening in the monolithic facade that links the visitors with the monumental central space. the ‘arrival to the quarry’, or the forum, is the first space visitors encounter when entering the building. this area is the starting point for the buildings’s multiple exhibition halls, that showcase varying materials through different characteristic rooms. the halls articulate around the forum, creating a dynamic experience through all the spaces.

image by césar béjar / production: revista container

the proposal dismisses traditional retail experiences and instead promotes learning and knowledge, specifically aiming to understand why and how architecture, design, art and culture are created and interpreted in mexico and worldwide. the project was created as a platform that stimulates dialogue and dissemination, and establishes a relationship of mutual benefit with the community, as well as with grupo arca’s clients and partners. the building’s main objective is to promote involvement in the construction of the cultural and creative expression of mexico.

image by jaime navarro

the project was driven by two contrasting concepts – the quarry and the warehouse. the concepts are represented by two separate volumes that vary physically and functionally, yet are woven into each other to create the entire building. the quarry houses the forum, the design center, the cafeteria and the multipurpose room. the warehouse is a translucent, neutral space that acts as a canvas to showcase the stones and is framed in the background by a forest. the warehouse emphasizes the vast material product library that grupo arca owns and its meaningful connection to nature.

image by jaime navarro

technology plays an essential role in the proposal because it allows the interaction of visitors with materials through QR codes. once the viewer scans the code of the desired material, it provides the user with the information, description, and the costs of the selected materials. this creates a database of the materials of highest interest for the visitors as well as each of the client’s viewing history enabling the opportunity to analyze trends and purchasing behavior.

image by césar béjar / production: revista container

image by genevieve lutkin

image by jaime navarro

image by jaime navarro

image by genevieve lutkin

image by césar béjar / production: revista container

image by genevieve lutkin

image by genevieve lutkin

project info:

creative director: héctor esrawe

architectural concept: esrawe studio architecture

interior design and furniture: esrawe studio

design team: laura vela, antonio chávez, maría santibañez, jacobo mendoza, andrea guillén, brenda vázquez, fernando carnalla, tatiana godoy, fabián dávila, daniela pulido, javier garcía rivera

showroom experience concept: esrawe + cadena

brand identity: cadena+asociados concept design

renders: yair ugarte, moisés gonzález, gael félix

technical collaboration: a-001

external advisors: culdesac, alberto martínez

lighting design: luz en arquitectura

landscape design: paar paisaje arquitectura

construction: cdm, jaime de obeso, olmo ernesto godínez

photography: genevieve lutkin, jaime navarro, césar béjar (production: revista container)