Liverpool Insurgentes Department Store, Rojkind Architectonics has won a Progressive Architecture Citation for its habitable facade design for Liverpool department store at the intersection of Insurgents and Felix Cuevas avenues in the south Mexico City. They are the second Mexican firm to win this award which has previously been given to famous names like Zaha Hadid Architects, Thom Mayne and Eero Saarinen.
© Rojkind Arquitectos. Photo: Jaime Navarro
The store is opens right at the sidewalk of a very busy street intersection which also has a Subway line Station in its context ensuring high footfall. This meant that a traditionally inward looking “closed box” design could not work, a strong and dynamic urban presence was required.
© Rojkind Arquitectos. Photo: Jaime Navarro
Rojkind Arquitectos thus propose a habitable or “deep wall” kind of a facade which not only provides visual connections but also draws people in. Its honeycomb cavities allow a multitude of activities like shopping, restaurants, rest areas and the buildings circulation in the facade itself. Derived from Moire patterns, which are interference patterns created by overlap of grids, lines etc, the facade is 2.8 m deep having three layers of various sized hexagonal systems made of fiberglass, steel ,aluminium with glass. The design despite being digital took advantage of Mexico’s skilled metal craftsman by keeping fabrication local.
© Rojkind Arquitectos. Photo: Jaime Navarro
The resulting facade is not only dynamic looking but also aids in creating linkages between the interior and the exterior. Its urban presence is markedly felt as the pedestrian can look inside and also the shopper can look outside, thus making it permeable along with being a strong visual statement.
Project info:
Architects: Rojkind Arquitectos
Country: Mexico, Mexico City
Year: 2010
Photographs: Rojkind Arquitectos. Photo: Jaime Navarro
Manufacturers: Arquimart, Comex
Equipo: Alberto Villarreal, Gerardo Villanueva, Rodrigo Medina, Arie de Jongh, Victor Martínez, Juan Carlos Sainz, Adrian Aguilar, Alfredo Hernandez, Andrea León, Beatriz Zavala, Marielle Rivero, Nadezda Stankovic, Felipe Castañeda, Isaac Smeke, Víctor Alemán, Enrique de la Barrera, Davis Guajardo, Daniela Bustamante, Joe Tarr, Will Fox, Philipp Schlauch, Arie Hendrik, Diego Leál, Ignacio Cabrera, Linda Martínez, Karina Amparán, José de Jesús Guerra
Interior Design: Servicios Liverpool SA de CV
Structural Engineer: EMR SA
Façade Engineer: Studio NYL
MEP: RCC
Façade Installation: Alitech, Arquimart, Todo en Metal
Lighting Consultant: Ideas y Proyectos en Luz
Landscape Consultant: Entorno Taller de Paisaje
Bim Administration: ArchiCAD
Media: Monique Rojkind, Rosalba Rojas
Façade Area: 2400 sqm
Socio Fundador: Michel Rojkind
Socio: Gerardo Salinas
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.