Monterrey, the third largest city in Mexico, is best known for its beautiful mountains and strong industrial backbone. In the heart of the city is Fundidora Park, a unique specimen of industrial archaeology (it was previously a massive steelworks and foundry established in 1900). The park is home to extensive gardens, museums, convention centers, auditoriums, theme parks and cultural venues such as Conarte (Council for the Culture and Arts of Nuevo León).
Conarte reached out to Anagrama with the mission to create a space that would foster a love of reading and learning for children. The children's library and cultural center was to be inside a warehouse-like building, an untouchable heritage site of the state. Our design proposal needed to take into account the untouchable nature of the building and, in some way, enhance it.
The result is a multi-purpose, asymmetrical reading platform meant to simulate Monterrey's mountainous topography. The bookshelves are not only used as storage, but serve as a dynamic space to play and learn, to fire the imagination and provide comfort while reading. The installation's colorful and geometric aesthetic contrasts directly with its antique, industrial building, elevating both elements in a cheerful and unique way.
