Alejandro Guerrero and Andrea Soto, the architectural design team commissioned for the renovation of the Auditorio de la Ribera complex, have won a silver prize in the Public Buildings category of the 2023 Erich Mendelsohn Award for Brick Architecture.
Back in July, jurors in the prestigious German award program selected the head couple from Atelier Ars of Zapopan for the shortlist of 76 finalists chosen among the 584 submissions from 33 countries. Last month they named the winners in the competition’s six divisions. Atelier Ars placed second in the Public Buildings Recreation and Sports category, next best to another Mexican entry, Estudio MMX, for the Jojutla Central Garden project.
Guerrero and Soto were contracted by the Jalisco Culture Department in 2020 to draw up plans for the La Floresta venue that has been rebranded as the Centro para la Cultura y Las Artes de la Ribera (CCAR). Their design was inspired by the auditorium’s original brick-vaulted portico, the lakeside region’s traditional masonry style, a feature of the local natural setting, and Jalisco’s indigenous Wixárika culture.
Construction on the project began in 2021, and the completed facility opened in December of last year. It now operates with a monthly calendar of performing arts events staged in the renovated auditorium, studios for dance and music classes, a gallery for temporary art exhibits, a library/reading room for literary programs and spaces for art workshops. Many of these activities are open to the public free of charge, while some others are offered for modest entry fees.
Information on upcoming happenings is posted regularly on the Centro para la Cultura y Las Artes de la Ribera Facebook site.