Mexico City is a unique place, it's a metropolis that has thousands of stories and memories to tell all people throughout thousands of houses and buildings developed with dozens of different architectural styles. Just seeing their facades is an amazing experience, but for all of those who wonder what's inside, Open House CDMX is their chance to get all the way inside into these structures.

Museo Cuatro Caminos

Open House CDMX is part of the international organization Open House Worldwide, which showcases outstanding architecture and invites everyone to explore and debate the value of a well-designed built environment, completely for free. This concept has been established in several locations around the world including London, New York, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, and now Mexico City.

Oficinas ZD+A

On April 21st and 22nd, one hundred buildings, located around seven zones of the Mexican capital, will be open for all the people who want to learn about their historical heritage and enjoy at the same time the special architecture that has made of these buildings places to be admired and to learn from. 

Edificio La Nana, Fabrica de las Artes

Some of the buildings that are part of this Open House are the following: Casa Rivas Mercado, Centro Cultural el Rule, Colegio de Vizcaínas, Escuela de Ballet Folklórico Amalia Hernández, Frontón México, Museo de Arte Popular, and the Esperanza Iris Theater. The complete list of the structures that will be opened to the public this weekend can be seen here.

Museo Cuatro Caminos

According to a document developed by the organizers of the event, this free festival comes to Mexico City for the first time "so that on April 21st and 22nd we can go for a walk and be surprised by all those spaces that we had never imagined they existed in there, and visit all those buildings that we always wanted to know from inside out, from adapted factories, rescued buildings, renewed neighborhoods and gardens; and so many mores spaces that make this incredible city a unique place."

Palacio de los Condes

The areas included in this festival are: Condesa-Roma, Polanco, Pedregal, Ciudad Universitaria, Santa María La Ribera, Corredor Reforma, San Miguel Chapultepec, and Centro Histórico.

Escuela de Ballet Folklórico de México

"We want the citizens to have the opportunity to see buildings with great architectural, heritage and historical value as a way to foster appreciation and care for their own environment," said Victoria Escalante, architect and director of the festival, at a press conference.

Oficinas ZD+A

During the press conference, Mar Tomás, architect and organizer of the festival, commented that the tours can be done individually with the support of an application called "Iconus", which will be launched during the festival dates and which will give the users the opportunity to download a map with detailed information about the buildings that are part of Open House CDMX.

Edificio Bacardí diseñado por Mies Van Der Rohe

It's worth mentioning that one important part of this architectural route is the building designed by the international architect Mies Van Der Rohe, that is the corporate building of the Bacardi company, opened in Mexico city in 1961. Along with this structure, it's also worth visiting the Bacardi plant, developed by the architect Felix Candela.

Planta Bacardí diseñada por Felix Candela

Top image: Casa Rivas Mercado

All images courtesy of OpenHouse CDMX

> via Open House CDMX