The PILARES programme (short for Puntos de Innovación, Libertad, Arte, Educación y Saberes or Points of Innovation, Freedom, Art, Education and Knowledge) was an initiative launched in Mexico City in 2019 by then Head of Government for the region, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo. Through it, the government hoped to open 300 community centres in impoverished and otherwise marginalised urban areas in order to help local communities gain skills that would potentially strengthen the city’s socio-economic fabric. An official statement describes the PILARES initiative as "a proposal that gives priority to the young population that has dropped out of formal educational institutions, to women who need to strengthen their economic autonomy and to communities that currently have no access to decent cultural and sports facilities." The community centre designed by Dellekamp Arquitectos—a brutalist fortress composed of brick arches—for the district of Tláhuac is a part of this ambitious programme of social upliftment through architecture.

Built on an approximately 400 sqm plot in the vicinity of a public primary school and a neighbourhood market, the 200 sqm structure with a distinctly spartan plan divided into four quadrants offers activities such as yoga, karate, crafts and a computer centre for online education programs for its users. On the ground level of the public building, arches frame the openings to create an urban plaza with the adjoining street. The two open corridors that divide the plan neatly into four multifunctional spaces are treated similarly.

The repeating arch motif—echoing the symmetry of Moorish structures—that distinguishes the façade design and frames the openings becomes the basic structural system for the building. Emphasising accessibility for the local population, the structural components lend a rigid openness to the community architecture that draws on the affable nature of the local street culture. As the architects elaborate, two large palm trees on site further determined the planning, with the plan laid slightly askew on the plot to accommodate them. This facilitated the creation of courtyards in the already open structure along with a garden at one end.

The forest of exposed brick columns and arches in the design further influences the flexibility and orientation of the interior spaces. Of the eight quadrants spread over two floors, six are given over to workshops and classrooms and two, stacked in a street-facing corner, to circulation and services. Elaborating on the design of the public architecture and its use of brick, the architects note that the choice was inspired by local building tradition and the community’s familiarity with the materials and forms deployed in their design.

"Mexico City has a long tradition in brick masonry construction since the 19th century. The simplicity and functionality of the traditional red brick allowed the project to be resolved structurally and aesthetically,” they share. Moreover, the curves of the large openings soften the otherwise rigid form of the rectilinear building.

The choice of the cost and labour-efficient brick architecture is also evidence of the limited budget allocated to the initiative by the government. While the project was intended to alleviate marginalised and economically disenfranchised communities in Mexico’s capital, the austerity enforced by the government on its budget would go on to draw criticism. Critics have pointed out that the projects initiated through the programme could not be completed satisfactorily and that some architects faced issues with extensive paperwork and coordination with officials and contractors. They further noted that the amount of labour required for the work to be undertaken was not reflected in the money allocated, with studios enlisted by the initiative essentially working pro bono.

It could also be said that the high construction rate for buildings/public infrastructure reflected by the initiative was meant to present an image of progress for Mexico, which makes the low budget attributed to the programme seem even more ironic. However, given the constraints the different community projects faced in the PILARES programme, the ingenious response of Mexican architects from Alberto Kalach to Tatiana Bilbao to Fernanda Canales was commendable; only attesting to the commitment of the designers towards thoughtful design for the public, and the belief that architecture can have a positive impact on communities.

On working with government officials on the project, the design team shared in conversation with STIR, “Doing a project for the government is always complicated. The main challenge is to work with a limited budget and shifting political affiliations. The building was finished but the outside elements such as the fence and landscape elements, were not completed due to these two issues.” While the project by Dellekamp Arquitectos and many others within the ambit of the programme faced disparate issues, the team relayed that once the centre in Tláhuac was opened in late 2023, it was quickly embraced by the community. “They call it ‘El Castillo’ (the castle) [and it] has become an important space of encounter of the neighbourhood,” they go on to note.

Built with the idea of serving as “meeting points of and for the citizens”, the minimalist, humble architecture of the Dellekamp Arquitectos’ design transforms into a vibrant site for the community through its modernist interpretation of the local culture. The openness of the structure, coupled with an inviting public programme demonstrates the power of thoughtful public infrastructure in helping to unite people while underscoring the need for accessible, well-designed spaces for community engagement.

Project Details

Name: PILARES Quetzalcóatl
Location: Mexico City
Architect: Dellekamp Arquitectos
Design Team: Derek Dellekamp, principal; Santiago Sitten, Francisco E. Franco
Collaborators:
Engineer:
Nina Casas Guzik (structural)
General Contractor:
DGOP
Consultants:
Lightchitects (lighting); José Francisco De Riquer Torres (building services); Humberto Orozco (soil)
Area: 5,920 square feet
Year of Completion: 2023