Calakmul Corporate Building, Mexico
The Calakmul Corporate Building is located in the Sante Fe neighbourhood of Mexico City, and is known locally as ‘La Lavadora’ (the washing machine). It was constructed in 1997 on what had been a junkyard before being reclaimed by the city government and developed into an affluent business district.
It was designed by architect Agustin Hernandez Navarro to honour the Mayan from whom the name Calakmul derives, and incorporates elements that represent the earth and the sky.
The complex consists of two separate modernist buildings – the nine-storey washing machine-esque structure and the adjacent pyramidal structure. The separated exterior is pristine white concrete, attached to the central commercial office building which is made of mirrored-glass, giving the impression of a globe inside a cube.
See the full Unusual building design of the week series here.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Architectural styles.
- Building of the week series.
- Dali Theatre and Museum.
- Dancing House, Prague.
- Gentle Genius.
- Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao.
- Habitat 67.
- Little Crooked House, Poland.
- Lotus Temple.
- Luxor Las Vegas.
- Office Center 1000 Kaunas.
- Ryugyong Hotel, North Korea.
- St. Basil’s Cathedral.
- Tallest buildings in the world.
- The Gherkin.
- The Mile.
- The Oculus.
- Unusual building design of the week.
- Watts Towers.
Featured articles and news
It was the tallest structure in the world for 3,800 years, but to this day the exact construction techniques are a mystery.
Shortlist for the industry's most coveted award announced.
Government responds to Mark Farmer's review of industry, rejecting the call for a levy on clients.
Peter Hansford to examine what wider lessons can be learned from the fire.
Every project is subject to uncertainty. How can construction better understand uncertainty for performance improvement?
MAD Architects reveal their designs for a futuristic campus for electric car manufacturer.
Homebuyers could borrow more with better forecasting of energy bills, according to industry consortium's new report.
Read our introductory article on carbon capture and storage.
Have a look at Frank Gehry's Binoculars Building in Los Angeles.
BRE publish new Loss Prevention Standard seeking to minimise fire risk from ducting.
Beneficial infrastructure projects
How do we tell which infrastructure projects will work?
CIAT announce the establishment of a Working Group in light of Grenfell and call for contributions.
In 1900, 15% of global population lived in cities. Now it’s over 50%. Which is why we need ‘hydroinformatics’ to consume smarter.
Have a look at these competition-winning designs for a new residential development in Eindhoven.
Grenfell Tower articles updated daily