Since its inauguration in 1964, the Nonoalco-Tlatelolco complex has become a central point of the CDMX, as this space has been the scene of many stories. And although almost any capitalinx knows the Plaza de las Tres Culturas, the Santiago Garden, the Insignia Tower or has walked through its corridors and squares, we rarely have the opportunity to get to know the buildings of the unit. Mirador Tlatelololco gives us the chance to get to know one of Tlatelolco's apartments and have a spectacular view of the city, at the same time that we get to know new artists and cultural projects.
Rodrigo Torres, an architect by profession, was amazed by Mario Pani's work since college, so a few years ago he moved to Tlatelololco. In 2023 he moved into one of the penthouse apartments in the Coahuila Building, located in the La República section. This building is part of one of the 7 towers that still exist from Pani's original plan and has a height of 87 meters, with the highest part crowned by a cube with the name of the building.
Mirador Tlatelololco is located on the 24th floor, so it has a great view of the city. Rodrigo thought that this was an opportunity to start a project to disseminate art and take advantage of the space, in a way to make a living space public. Thus, in 2023 Mirador was born, an exhibition and research space on architecture, art and design.
The first exhibition at Mirador was "Toda forma es línea", where the artists' work created a dialogue with an artistic and architectural production made between 1964 and 1967, exploring the permanence of a little known public art project in the Unidad Habitacional Nonoalco Tlatelolco. A central point of the exhibitions and events held at Mirador is to create a connection with Tlatelolco, its history, architecture or a specific element.
During our visit we had the opportunity to see the exhibition "Reja Abierta" (Open Grille), which presents a series of drawings, paintings and risographs by the artist Eugenio Cristo Vivanco, in which the artist takes up botany and the vegetable, the care that a plant needs and the accidental in nature, relating these concepts to care, affection and the unpredictable in relationships. All the pieces presented were made specifically for the exhibition, so it is evident the interest in linking the works with the space, an element that makes each exhibition at Mirador special.
In addition to seeing the exhibition of the moment, a central part of the project is to go up to the roof of the building, something we probably can't do often, and appreciate the city from this point. From here you can clearly see the buildings of the Historic Center and Paseo de la Reforma, as well as appreciate Pani's housing project in all its magnitude. On a good day, you can even see the volcanoes.
To learn about Mirador Tlatelololco's exhibitions and events as well as to schedule a visit, you can follow their Instagram.
