Barrio Letrán is a new 1.4M sq.ft. mixed-use development at the intersection of Avenida Jose Maria Izagaza, a main artery for the city, and Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas. The intersection brings together a number of architecturally significant landmarks, including the Fuente Del Salto Del Agua from 1779, and the Church Inmaculada Concepción from 1750.

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Organized around a central courtyard, Barrio Letrán is a mix of residential rental and for-sale units, office space, and retail. The large open courtyard connects the exterior with the interior, and is modeled after the ubiquitous sidewalk markets that dot the neighborhood. The courtyard splits the site in two, opening up views from the development to the nearby Church.

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The buildings have been organized to defer to the lower-scale historic buildings, with podiums pegged to the height of the cupula of the Church. Podiums are clad in precast mixed with Tezontle, which is a volcanic rock found in the surrounding area, and which gives the city a reddish tone. The panels are subtly shifted along the podium to create areas of more or less opacity depending on the interior program.

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Above, the residential towers are a mix of glass and precast, colored to match the tones of piedra cantera, a local limestone. The office tower is primarily glass, with vertical metal fins colored to match the masonry and visually connect the tower with the base and local reddish tone.

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Throughout the courtyard interior, accents of wood create a warmer feel, while cast-iron railings reflect the historic use of iron in the courtyards of the city. Flooring is composed of local stone to match the feeling of the historic courtyards of the city.