Taller Estrella Jafif

Project Details

Project Description

Taller Estrella was designed to accommodate a broad range of disparate, yet simultaneous activities. Located in the primarily residential neighborhood of Bosques de las Lomas on the western side of Mexico City, the project stemmed from a need for a local, kosher, culinary school. From this initial idea, the building’s program expanded to provide the surrounding community with a venue for small events and gatherings; in addition to offering kosher cooking classes, the space hosts art exhibitions, yoga classes, large catered celebrations, and a variety of other activities allowing the neighbors to stay local rather than travel miles through Mexico City’s protracted traffic.
The three-story volume groups complementary program that interlock to facilitate continuous circulation throughout; separate access to each area allows simultaneous and discrete use as needed. For instance, the main event space on the ground level is accessed by walkway from the street. Meanwhile, entry to events on the roof terrace are via a generously landscaped outdoor stair on the other side of the building; this area connects to the interior via the upstairs bedroom, which is kept sparse to accommodate thru traffic. Access to the kitchen is discreet and direct from the driveway between the other two entrances while an interior stair connects to two floors.
The material palette of the project strikes a balance between achieving an expressive, modern design and a simple backdrop appropriate for any use. Board-formed concrete, exposed beams, and weathered wood floors express the construction technique while emphasizing the double-height scale of the main space. The patterning achieved by the formwork, which is carried from outside to inside, is also reflected in the wood doors and interior wood cladding at mezzanine level to provide a continuous motif and is a visual play on the limited palette.
A generous use of glass appears throughout the building to provide separation of space, while maintaining sightlines. Following the Mexican processional tradition, both event spaces have their own outdoor and indoor spaces, separated by large sliding doors while the display kitchen also features glass doors to convey cooking as performance and part of the presentation. A large glass canopy semi-encloses the outdoor courtyard to allow daylight and fresh air, protect guests from the elements, and provide a sound buffer between the upstairs and downstairs areas. This is in contrast to the building’s fortified gates, which preserve the neighborhood fabric while obscuring the dynamic programming that happens behind them.