martinez arquitectura explores the lightness of brick for multi-purpose tower in bogotá

the ‘tribeca’ project by martinez arquitectura proposes to transform the urban environment of bogotá through a curved architectural gesture. the building is located in a traditional sector of the city, the teusaquillo neighborhood, in the border between conservation houses and industrial warehouses. the complex seeks to take advantage of its convenient location, close to the historic and international center, surrounded by easily accessible roads and public transport that easily connects it with the center, north and west of the city, to establish an iconic corner with visible façades on its four sides.

all images by simon bosch, carlos martínez

the project is a 15-story, 3-basement tower, for mixed residential and commercial use. the building mixes single bedroom apartments with family apartments, of small areas, trying to offer as many windows to take advantage of natural light and the pleasant views of the city. all the apartments face the exterior, and from the 4th floor all have access to stunning views of the surroundings.

street view

regarding materiality, the project seeks simplicity and forcefulness by mixing light brick with the transparency of glazing, some matte black elements, and lush gardens that contrast with the earth tones selected. the building is an exploration of the lightness of a heavy material such as brick, creating textures and rhythms, which in the curved areas take on greater relevance, by taking more weight off the material, and playing with the contrasts, lights and shadows, and effects both indoors and outdoors.

corner of the building

the project takes advantage of the non-orthogonal lot, to generate an unconventional shape. with a curved line and a façade of continuous stripes that intersperse the heavy mass. a light brick envelope is proposed, which also plays with different rhythms to accentuate the gesture of continuity and lightness that is intended.

street view

brick façade

brick façade

building entrance

living space of an apartment

kitchen

terrace

terrace entrance

pergola

views over bogotá

project info:

project name: tribeca

program: housing

location: bogotá, colombia

architect: martinez arquitectura

client: codigo proyectos

year: 2015 – 2019

program: housing

​status: finished

design & project architect: carlos martinez, maria paula gonzalez

​team: carlos martinez, maria paula gonzalez, jaime ruiz

​collaborators: felipe cortés, antonio ruiz, johan vaca, daniela duque

​photography: simon bosch, carlos martínez

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom