Colombia. The cultural centre designed by El Equipo Mazzanti looks like a “mechanical animal”

Originally published in Domus 1028, October 2018

This building is conceived as an open space, where significant traits of the paisa culture like gardening, planting, playing guitar, drinking coffee and simply resting on a hammock take place around classrooms that are constantly exposed to the city’s weather and natural environment. The educational park aims to become a meeting place centred on learning, defined as a practice based on the building of knowledge through the dialogue between people and the built and natural environments.

The Marinilla project, more than a building, is a public space itself. Due to its potential for working as a branch system, the project allows the construction of open geometric forms that can be easily connected to new branches. Moreover, the project is also imagined as a permeable container that can be constantly modified by its users. The steel frame is covered with metal mesh that creates the feeling of being inside a bird cage. This materiality produces an enclosed and transparent environment, which allows the surrounding landscape to extend and grow within the building. Furthermore, because of the building’s hilltop location, the metal mesh gives the opportunity to create continuous and direct views to the city and its surroundings. Finally, for the landscape design we planted different vines that will eventually growth within the building adding colour and liveliness to it. The landscape strategy also aims to strengthen the relationship between the building and its users by inviting them to take care of it and interact with the flowers inside and outside. (from the architects’ report)