Alberto Kalach’s architectural practice has long been characterized by a profound sensitivity to site, material, and spatial experience. The Kurrimotzo Gallery presents a compelling exploration of how architecture can serve as both a frame and a subject in the art exhibition. Located within an evolving urban landscape, the gallery functions as a space for artistic display and as an architectural statement in its own right.
Kurrimotzo Gallery Technical Information
- Architects1-2: TAX, Alberto Kalach
- Location: Gob. Rafael Rebollar 94, Colonia San Miguel Chapultepec, Mexico City, Mexico
- Area: 1,300 m2 | 13,990 Sq. Ft.
- Completion Year: 2008
- Photographs: © Pedro Rosenbleuth; © Roberto Ortiz de Landazuri
The first task of language is to create a space that fulfills a concrete objective, a space that is practical but at the same time thrills and offers a sense of surprise that becomes part of your memory.
– Alberto Kalach 3
Kurrimotzo Gallery Photographs
Spatial and Programmatic Composition: Reinterpreting the Gallery Typology
The Kurrimotzo Gallery departs from traditional white-box paradigms, opting instead for a dynamic interplay of volumes, light, and movement. The spatial composition is defined by a sequence of rooms that encourage a layered experience of art—each space offering distinct perceptual shifts through varying ceiling heights, apertures, and transitions between enclosed and semi-open areas. The circulation strategy is particularly noteworthy: visitors are guided through a carefully orchestrated sequence of spaces that alternate between compression and expansion rather than a linear progression.
Kalach’s use of thresholds—whether through carefully framed openings or transitional courtyards—creates a nuanced dialogue between interior and exterior. The gallery does not merely house art but actively engages with it, offering spatial conditions that allow for different scales of artistic intervention. This intentional ambiguity between exhibition space and architectural space raises questions about the role of galleries in shaping how art is experienced.
Materiality and Atmosphere: Crafting Sensory Experiences
Materiality plays a central role in defining the character of the Kurrimotzo Gallery. Kalach has long advocated raw, locally sourced materials, and this project continues that ethos. Using exposed concrete, stone, and timber is not merely an aesthetic choice but an effort to anchor the building within its physical and cultural context. These materials contribute to a tactile quality that contrasts sharply with the often sterile environments of contemporary galleries.
Natural and artificial lighting is another crucial element in the project’s atmospheric composition. Skylights and clerestory windows punctuate the heavy materiality of the walls, allowing diffused daylight to sculpt the interior spaces. The play of light and shadow shifts throughout the day, creating an ever-changing backdrop for the exhibited works. At night, strategically placed artificial lighting highlights textural details, emphasizing the material richness of the gallery itself.
The integration of vegetation—an element frequently seen in Kalach’s work—softens the building’s brutalist tendencies. Courtyards punctuated with native plants serve as transitional spaces and moments of pause, blurring the boundary between architecture and landscape.
Context and Cultural Resonance: Beyond the Object
While the Kurrimotzo Gallery is undoubtedly a formal and spatial experiment, its significance extends beyond its immediate physicality. The gallery’s relationship with its urban or natural surroundings is critical to its architectural narrative. Does it integrate harmoniously within its context, or does it assert itself as an autonomous object? Kalach’s design treads a delicate line between the two, offering a deeply rooted and undeniably distinct structure.
From a cultural perspective, the gallery’s impact on the local arts scene cannot be overlooked. As more cities witness the commodification of gallery spaces, often stripped of architectural ambition, the Kurrimotzo Gallery stands as a counterpoint—a space where the built environment enhances, rather than neutralizes, artistic experience. By embracing materiality, light, and spatial dynamism, it fosters an engagement with art that is as much about the observer’s movement through space as it is about the works on display.
Sustainability is another lens through which the project can be critically evaluated. While its reliance on heavy materials raises questions about embodied carbon, its passive cooling strategies, reliance on natural light, and integration with the landscape suggest a conscientious approach to environmental concerns. The absence of overt sustainability branding is refreshing—Kalach allows the architecture itself to communicate these values subtly and effectively.
Kurrimotzo Gallery Plans
Kurrimotzo Gallery Image Gallery
About Alberto Kalach
Alberto Kalach is a Mexican architect known for his innovative and contextually driven designs that blend modernism with natural and cultural influences. As the founder of Taller de Arquitectura X (T.A.X.), his work spans residential, commercial, and public projects, often integrating vegetation, raw materials, and sustainable strategies. Notable works include the José Vasconcelos Library in Mexico City and various residential projects that emphasize light, space, and ecological sensitivity. His architecture reflects a deep engagement with Mexico’s urban and natural landscapes.
Credits and Additional Notes
- Design Team: Taller de Arquitectura X (T.A.X.)
- Client: Kurimanzutto Gallery, founded by Mónica Manzutto, José Kuri, and Gabriel Orozco
- Alberto Kalach: Work by Alberto Kalach, Miquel Adrià, Carlos Jiménez, Juan Palomar, Fernándo Fernández, Eduardo Vázquez
