LABNL - Citizen Cultural Laboratory

LABNL
Citizen Cultural Laboratory

Located in the heart of Monterrey, Nuevo León, industrial capital of Mexico, and culminating at the main square of the city, Macroplaza, the project aims to renovate, revitalize and enhance the Old Federal Palace of Monterrey (Antiguo Palacio Federal de Monterrey), built in 1929, to house a Laboratory for Culture, Innovation and Citizenship Development.

BACKGROUND
In 1929, Architect Augusto Petriccioli designed and constructed the Federal Palace of Monterrey (Palacio Federal de Monterrey), intended to house various governmental entities.
The building features a rectangular floor plan with proportions of 1:2 and exhibits neoclassical characteristics. It comprises a public services ground level, three levels of office spaces, and a tower with six levels.
The main structure is made of steel and bricks. The surrounding wall is made of brick and the exterior facade made of precast concrete slabs. The building incorporates classic ornamental plaster details on columns, beams, and walls.

DESIGN DIRECTION
From its construction in 1929 until the start of the renovation process in 2020, the building was occupied by different government agencies, with often different administrations that had different views on how to approach to the architecture virtues of the building.
These shifts often involved strategies that did not prioritize the preservation of the architectural qualities and characteristics of the original design. This approach through time led to a continuous process of intervention, rather than integration.

CONCEPT
The project is conceived within the understanding that the existing building (Federal Palace) serves as a structural framework to house inhabitable spaces and geometries. Geometries to be occupied by the new program. It draws inspiration from the iconic industrial warehouses and factories found throughout the city, which serve as vessels for production machinery.
A key aspect of the design proposal involves opening up the building's interior by removing non-original elements (walls, partitions and ornamental elements), added over the years. This approach aims to create open and adaptable spaces that align with the building's inherent qualities and characteristics and the nature of LABNL.
Geometric volumes that act as containers to house the different activities and services of the architectural program of LABNL and also as containers for the new experiences that will be forged and built over time. An integration of memories and cultural activities that dialogue with the pre-existing structure

PROJECT
The Laboratory program encompasses various spaces distributed across different levels:
On the first level, there are spaces for a Stage, a Conversation Room, Cafeteria, locker rooms, storage areas, Exhibition Space, and information modules. The second level houses the Ideas Laboratory (Library), Media Laboratory (TV Studio, Recording Studio and Radio Booth), and the Scenic Laboratory (Dance Studio).
The third level houses the Laboratory of the City, focused in the citizenship and cultural development of the city; and the Arts and Technology Laboratory. The fourth level is dedicated to offices and collaborative areas.
Levels five and six house additional office spaces, while levels seven and eight feature studios for residents. On the ninth floor, there is a panoramic viewpoint offering spectacular views of the city.