ICON San Angel | Cristian Aguilar

ICON San Ángel is a multi-family residential project with two main towers, one on each side of the Anillo Periférico, a beltway running through much of the Valley of Mexico and surrounding areas. A key road artery, this section features an elevated second floor. The first tower, at number 2008, is 115 meters high with 184 apartments; the other, at number 1977 across the avenue, is 165 meters high and has 188 apartments. Due to its location, height and design, this project has become an urban landmark in the southwestern zone of Mexico City.
 
This project engages in compelling dialogue with the Periférico, the avenue that separates the two volumes, as well as with its urban context. It is located close to San Ángel, a historic and colonial neighborhood with eighteenth-century mansions churches. These, in turn, coexist with the modern high office towers and apartments located on the Periférico, in addition to incomparable views of the volcanoes.
 
While the Periférico 2008 project was under construction, the design of Periférico 1977 was assigned. The client, GDC Desarrollos, an ally and partner of the firm, proposed a second lot in front of the first project, adding to the iconic positioning on each side of a major thoroughfare such as Periférico. The idea was to accentuate this area of the city, creating a clear relationship between the two towers through form, function and materials.
 
Volumetrically, the buildings were built using parallelepipeds of 115 and 165 meters in height; a pair of subtractions generates two large voids in each tower. Triple-height open green spaces were installed in the voids, creating a series of terraces that were strategically designed to accommodate around 200 trees per tower, including lemon, orange, shade trees, sweetgum and plum trees.
 
Of special note, the project complies with the urban development policy for both properties governing a similar maximum construction area; the footprint of Periférico 2008 (the lower tower) is larger than Periférico 1977, so that each floor in the first tower houses seven apartments, while the second tower only has five apartments per level.
 
* The urban development policy is a regulatory instrument of Mexico City's urban development plan that permits the consolidation of two or more properties and the redistribution of the construction potential obtained through land use.
 
The fact that they are lots separated by the Periférico, influences their relationship with neighboring properties, which is why the orientation solution, the triple-height courtyards and views of the city are different. Periférico 2008 is oriented east-west with views of the Colonial District of San Ángel, while Periférico 1977 is oriented north-south towards the emblematic Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatll volcanoes and Mexico City’s tallest buildings.
 
Thanks to footprint design of 583.3 m2 (Periférico 1977) and 905.8 m2 (Periférico 2008) respectively, it was possible to preserve the maximum construction area allowed for each property at 21,000 m2 and 35,000 m2above sidewalk level, respectively. This includes basements in both towers, which made it possible to address the regulatory requirement of a 15-story orthogonal building with a mere 20% of open space per property. It evolved into two towers, one with 30 stories and the other with 44 stories, with 50% and 56% of open space respectively. This separates them from the street and their surroundings to keep the complex private and peaceful, while providing better living conditions for the apartment inhabitants.
 
The visual and acoustic problems caused by the Periférico were mitigated in both projects by allocating the shared areas to lower levels, and by creating triple-height gardens at the level of the second floor of the Periférico, thus shifting the apartments to the upper levels. In addition, Periférico 2008 is set back 25 m from the avenue, while Periférico 1977 is only 5 m, but by adjusting the north-south orientation, it was possible to avoid views of the avenue.
 
Amenities in both towers include a gym, swimming pool, spa, business center, toy library, library and movie theater, and both buildings feature a rooftop terrace, all for the exclusive benefit and use of all residents. This type of amenities and services are not common in the area, so they provide recreational facilities that are different from those generally available. There is also a Kids Club, a 10 m x 6 m triple-height space, with bright, unsaturated colors like red and green, and friendly and smooth textures that make it ideal for children.
 
The user profile is broad, ranging from young people, newlyweds and small families, but it also includes prototypes for large families, such as the Penthouse. It is also ideal for seniors who wish to enjoy all the services, common areas and security.
 
The project also features triple-height open terraces in each tower, generating outdoor living spaces that soar above 100 m.
 
The façade is composed primarily of white precast concrete panels, with marble aggregates and insulating glass. The span-to-mass ratio in the main volume was carefully designed to contrast with the common typologies of glass-fronted buildings in the area's urban context while providing natural light and ventilation in all apartments.
 
The interior concept for the common areas is characterized by large spaces and heights, where natural materials such as wood and white marble combine with works of art that enrich the spaces.
 
In all cases, these works of art provide a visual accent and stimulate emotions, as do the lobby sculptures for both projects, which were created by the artist Aldo Chaparro. For Periférico 1977, for example, the idea was to give shape to a circle, with all its associated symbolism. As a result, the created piece remains suspended in space, a common theme in the artist's work.
 
The painting in the toy library by Julio Fabila is another example. He sought to create a mural that would inspire the children to explore a vast and unconventional planet, encouraging them through colors that would generate questions, such as, “Why is there pink grass?” Or, “Why are there creatures on the mural?”
 
The building's structure is composed of a rigid framework of reinforced concrete because the building is located in one of the most stable seismic zones in Mexico City.
 
The project improves the lives of its inhabitants by connecting them with more open areas and greenery than other vertical residential complexes that are common in the city. It challenges the old urban norms of how living spaces should be designed and also introduces the luxury of living in these elevated spaces with privileged views into the conversation. Its relationship by framing one of the most important avenues in the city, together with all the other factors mentioned above, make ICON San Ángel a new architectural and urban icon in the city.