A garden tops the rounded wedge-shape of the Tonalá 15 apartment building in Mexico City, which was clad in orange-toned concrete by local studio CRB Arquitectos.
The 13-storey complex is located in the Roma neighbourhood and stands out from its surroundings due to its colour while integrating well into the dense urban environment with other blocky midrise apartments.
“The project actively seeks the revitalization of the urban area, aiming to generate a positive impact both on the local economy and on the quality of life of the community’s inhabitants,” CRB Arquitectos told Dezeen.
“This approach not only emphasizes the aesthetic and functional importance of architectural design but also underscores its crucial role in creating environments that promote social connection, contributing to the sustainable development of urban areas and increasing the area’s value.”
Completed in 2023, the building sits on a 350-square metre (3,770-square foot) lot, shaped roughly like a triangle.
“The entire structure of the building is constructed using pigmented exposed concrete in an earthy tone, which gives it the ability to age, allowing the project to gain more character over time,” the team said.
“This material is also used for its malleability to shape all the curves of the project, demonstrating its versatility and ability to adapt to the demands of architectural design.”
On the ground floor, a small plaza holds the northern tip of the triangle and serves as the interface to the public. Two commercial spaces stretch across the width of the plan – connecting with the avenues that surround the property – while the residential lobby forms a corridor in the center of the plan with two half-rounded staircases and two elevators.
The public spaces are clad in granite and recinto stone with wood panelling on the walls.
The concrete structure is canted slightly inwards on the ground floor, pulling in from the sidewalk to allow for a planter to wrap the perimeter.
“The design takes advantage of the building’s concrete structure to create a clean and simple grid on the facades facing the avenues, with floor-to-ceiling windows and tilting the columns on the ground floor towards the interior of the building, creating a gesture of openness towards the street,” the team said.
Below ground level, a basement holds bicycle parking, encouraging residents to utilise public transportation and green mobility to reduce carbon emissions.
The 11 residential levels range from 50 to 54 square metres (538 to 581 square feet) but hold four compact apartments that each prioritise simplicity and functionality – particularly for short-term renters. The northern staircase reaches a rounded studio and a linear one-bedroom unit, while the southern staircase provides access to two blocky studios.
In a collaboration with Estudio M:A, the apartment interiors feature New Navona marble, beige textures and tones appear in the furniture and lighting, while wicker basketry and domestic wood add a welcoming Mexican essence for visitors to the area.
Tonalá 15 is topped with a green-framed public area that is divided into a seated garden space and an open terrace that overlooks the city.
“The building has a rainwater harvesting system for an alternative hydraulic system, betting on sustainability in the project,” the team said. “Likewise, as a passive strategy, a ‘vertical oasis’ was created thanks to the public plaza, planters on different floors, and the roof garden, contributing to the generation of clean air for the city.”
Two other Mexico City residential blocks were recently designed with orthogonal geometry softened by curves. HGR Arquitectos constructed a six-story, triangular apartment complex with a rounded atrium to protect against seismic activity, and Jsa and Mta+v teamed up to carve a triangular building into soft petal-like wings around a spiral staircase.
The photography is by César Bejar.
Project credits:
Design Team: Sebastián Canales, Javier Rivero Borrell, Regina Kuri, Carmen Alfaro and Alejandra Álvarez.
Structure: Ubando Ingeniería and Amador Terán
Construction: Secuencia
Interiors: Estudio M:A
