Project Overview
To bring down the scale of a 1.45 million ft2 (135,000 m2) shopping mall, designers used a variety of colors and finishes on more than 2,500 architectural precast concrete panels. The design created a series of independent-looking buildings within the long structure while maintaining the high quality and uniformity of a single construction system.
The key challenge came in devising all of the finishes and replicating the desired slate look. The precaster used a variety of forming techniques and aggregate mixtures, as well as several finishing options (acid etching, chiseled hammered, polished, and stained).
The desired slate finish was achieved with rubber molds cast from concrete flooring pieces discarded from the precaster’s plant. The resulting shapes were manually tinted with penetrating acid-based stains of various colors in every slate block. Replicating slate with formliners provided considerable savings over using natural materials.
Precast Solution
Six continuous months of work, with about 210 panels erected per week, were required to complete the erection. On each facade, precast concrete elements were alternated across the large extended surfaces to create visually attractive and original areas within the larger complex. Components included a large number of column covers.
Use of concrete in this area of Mexico has been low due to misconceptions about its capabilities to provide interesting and intriguing designs, according to the designer. The project serves as an inspiration to other owners and designers to expand their view. |