Coca-Cola's Espacio C Unveiled Mexico City

Written by Lucy Swift Weber on Wednesday, 21 October 2009 16:26

Located at the Mixcoac Distribution Center in the southwestern area of Mexico City, the brand new Espacio C Mixcoac
combines functionality with creativity, both in design, as well as in what the structure itself is meant to achieve.
The result of a collaboration between Coca Cola and the design and architecture firm ROW Studio, this unique training facility realizes the dream of ROW Studio’s founders: Alvaro Hernandez Félix, Nadia Hernández Félix and Alfonso Maldonado, by addressing the economic and social needs of the people of Mexico City, Named for the global phenomena, (ROW: Rest of World), ROW Studio has dedicated itself to taking a stand against the clichés of Mexican architecture. ROW has, instead, invested itself both in creating an international discourse regarding development in Mexico, as well as in the creation of innovative spaces, like Espacio C.

Espacio C (C space –C), represents the initials of Coca-Cola and the first letter of the Spanish words for: Training, Quality, Commitment and Creativity. The Espacio C is built for functionality, but it also incorporates the Coca-Cola brand in a variety of ways, both structurally and aesthetically. Thought of as a continuous surface on its outer side that folds to the floor and ceiling, the wall, like the ceiling, is coated with a Coca-Cola red epoxy paint. These Coca-Cola red walls also serve as sound barriers, protecting the space from the noise of both the city and the rest of the plant.

Although the Espacio C will serve primarily as a gathering place, it also contains everything from a mediateque to a snack bar, to a souvenir shop, and it offers both data and electrical connections. Divided into three separate but adjoining rooms, the Espacio C can serve as one large hall for common activities, but it can also provide the privacy needed to accommodate three separate groups. Representing the commitment Coca Cola has shown to the successful realization of this project and others like it, the bright red walls and a variety of Coca-Cola themed images, all come together to create a polished, brand-inspired space.

A perfect venue for brainstorming sessions, or educational meetings or lectures, the Espacio C offers an energetic yet peaceful setting, designed to protect the needs of the people who use the space, as well as to protect the space itself. The soundproof walls will stand the test of time, thanks to a graffiti-proof coating that keeps the images on the walls safe, while at the same time providing a whiteboard-like surface on which anything can be written and then erased. Following a concentric layout around a fixed module, the three rooms that make up the Espacio C, are surrounded by a wall that serves as both a visual and acoustic barrier, protecting the inner sanctum. Functional as both a space and as a branding tool, the Espacio C is unique, but it also marks the kind of developments we can expect to see more of, both in Mexico and throughout the rest of the world.

For more information visit: www.rowarch.com/

--By Lucy Swift Weber