Annik Keoseyan 
Arquitecta
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FINE ARTS ARCHIVE 
Client: Ministry of Culture of Mexico 
Typology: Rehabilitation
Chapultepec Nature & Culture Master Plan: Gabriel Orozco
Architecture: Taller Mauricio Rocha in collaboration with  Escobedo Soliz
Project Director: Annik Keoseyan
Date: 2019 - 2024

In response to the urgent need of INBAL museums to improve and expand their storage spaces, the proposal for a National Art Warehouse emerges—an area not only to safeguard the country’s artistic and cultural heritage but also to preserve, restore, and make it accessible to the public.

DESCRIPTION︎︎︎

The project is developed within the complex of the former Cartridge Factory, located in the Fourth Section of Chapultepec Forest. This ensemble, consisting of several historic industrial warehouses where cartridges and gunpowder were once produced, is rehabilitated and reimagined to house a multidisciplinary cultural program. The intervention not only transforms these warehouses into functional spaces but also gives them a new purpose that links the site's industrial past with the city’s future in arts and education.

INBAL's paintings will be housed in high-security vaults, designed as sheet metal boxes placed within the pre-existing structures. These vaults are equipped with advanced climate and humidity control systems, ensuring the ideal conditions for conserving the pieces.

The complex includes a media library, an auditorium, consultation rooms, public galleries, and various heritage restoration workshops. These spaces are designed to promote learning, interaction, and public access to the country’s cultural wealth.

The proposal respects the essence of the existing industrial warehouses, preserving their structural characteristics while introducing contemporary elements that engage in dialogue with their history. The sheet metal vaults, designed as independent volumes within the warehouses, serve as high-tech containers that stand out for their functionality and discretion. These internal structures not only protect the stored pieces but also create a visual contrast with the textures and materials of the original warehouses.

On the exterior, the factory’s facades are intervened with stone and mullions that modulate the entry of natural light. This design not only optimizes the interior lighting but also creates dynamic shadow play that adds depth and character to the spaces.
 
Taller Mauricio Rocha was commissioned to develop this work and invited Annik Keoseyan to collaborate on directing the project:
_Project Director: Annik Keoseyan
_Project Coordinator: Pavel Escobedo 
_Construction Site Supervisor: Pavel Escobedo & Juan Carlos Montiel 
Team: Octavio Martínez, Hiroshi Ando, Gabriel Angelico, Jose Alberto Teja, Andrea Lomelí, Andrea Montiel, Andrés Soliz.