Look-out and Cultural Galleria El Carmen

A mixed-use cultural lookout reinterpreting heritage, public space, and urban terraces in Guadalajara

Dec 02, 2020

Project Name: Look-out and Cultural Galleria El Carmen
Type: Undergraduate studio project
Course: Context and Cultural Heritage
Date: 2020
Location: Portland, OR
Type: Cultural center, public lookout, commercial gallery
Collaboration: Project developed with Isaac Cervantes Luna
Role: Site selection and program definition, architectural design, representation.
Site selection and program development were proposed as part of the project’s conceptual framework.

Project Description

This project explores the relationship between cultural heritage, public space, and contemporary urban life through the insertion of a mixed-use cultural complex in Guadalajara’s historic center. The proposal combines a public look-out, cultural gallery, and commercial corridor as a strategy to reactivate pedestrian life while reinforcing the identity of the El Carmen neighborhood.

The design is organized as a sequence of terraces that gradually rise toward a public lookout, framing views of the city’s historic landmarks while creating a layered experience of public space. These terraces function simultaneously as circulation, social platforms, and transitional spaces between the street and interior programs.

At ground level, the cultural galleria operates as a pedestrian connector between urban blocks, activating the street with cultural commerce and everyday uses. Upper levels host flexible cultural and exhibition spaces, allowing the project to accommodate multiple activities while maintaining visual and spatial continuity with the surrounding heritage context

.The project emphasizes integration over contrast, using volumetric stepping, proportional façade rhythms, and sectional articulation to respect existing urban scales while introducing new public intensity into the historic fabric.