The Magdalena Building is located in the Colonia del Valle, Mexico City. Its urbanization occurred at the beginning of the twentieth century. The colony had a slow development until 1920, when the Avenida de los Insurgentes was enlarged and paved, and huge houses were built along it. By the 1960s, the area was already completely urbanized, where mansions inhabited by Spaniards who migrated to Mexico predominated.
Cortesía de HERNANDEZDELAGARZA
Over time and due to the increase in the value of the properties, Colonia del Valle is in a process of reconversion of land use. Therefore, many houses have been replaced by residential buildings. In this particular case, there were two houses that were demolished and subsequently the land was merged to achieve a 485m2 plot.
Cortesía de HERNANDEZDELAGARZA
Due to these changes, both in the use of the land and in the arrival of new generations, the ten-apartment building has different typologies which are not only differentiated in their architectural program but also in the formal result that is expressed in the concrete volume, organized with axes that start in the parking lot. This creates a grid that expresses very clearly both the construction system, based on stiff walls and concrete slabs, and their own use which consists of two simple apartments on the ground floor, five duplex apartments with double height terraces in the intermediate levels and three penthouses on the last level with private roof garden.
Cortesía de HERNANDEZDELAGARZA
The facades of the building respond to both the context and its orientation within a plot with three facades. The north facade has small openings that allow ventilation, and avoid the views towards the narrowest street.
Cortesía de HERNANDEZDELAGARZA
The south and east facades are open, not only because they capture the greatest amount of natural light in the interior of the apartments, but also because they have views of the avenues’ trees. The terraced vegetation of the building seeks integration towards these trees and aims to expand the relationship with its context from the inside
Project Info
Architects: HERNANDEZDELAGARZA
Area: 2250 m²
Year: 2019
Country: Ciudad de México, Mexico
Manufacturers: Firenze, Helvex, Kone, Llano de la Torre, Línea española, Mármoles Ponzanelli
Lead Architect: Jorge Hernández de la Garza
Design Team: Miguel Angel Loyola, Alin Gamboa, Verónica Quiroz, Georgette Wilthew
Clients: Grupo FG2
Engineering: Miguel Angel Arriaga, Mauricio Gutierrez
Consultants: Luis Gutierrez
Anastasia Andreieva is an accomplished Architectural Projects Editor at Arch2O, bringing a unique blend of linguistic expertise and design enthusiasm to the team. Born and raised in Ukraine, she holds a Master’s degree in Languages from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Her deep passion for architecture and visual storytelling led her to transition from translation and editorial roles into the world of design media. With a keen eye for conceptual clarity and narrative structure, Anastasia curates and presents global architectural projects with precision and flair. She is particularly drawn to parametric and digital design, cultural context, and emerging voices in architecture. When I’m not analyzing the latest architectural trends, you’ll probably find me searching for hidden gems in cityscapes or appreciating the beauty of well-crafted spaces. After all, great design—like great connections—can be found in the most unexpected places. Speaking of connections, because architecture isn’t the only thing that brings people together.