{"id":15887,"date":"2025-07-22T16:58:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T16:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/15887\/"},"modified":"2025-07-22T16:58:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T16:58:11","slug":"sordo-madaleno-carves-circular-school-into-mexican-terrain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/15887\/","title":{"rendered":"sordo madaleno carves circular school into mexican terrain"},"content":{"rendered":"

project by Sordo Madaleno folds into the earth in mexico<\/p>\n

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Architecture studio Sordo Madaleno<\/a> unveils the Canadian School, a structure that appears to be an extension of the land in Mexico<\/a>. In Cholula, Puebla, where the world\u2019s largest pre-Hispanic pyramid rises and the Popocat\u00e9petl volcano looms in the distance, the school<\/a>, now under construction, folds into the terrain. Its rooftop<\/a> serves as a park, accessible from the street, while the classrooms below are surrounded by gardens and courtyards<\/a>. \u2018This school is a canvas where learning and nature meet,\u2019 notes Fernando Sordo Madaleno, partner at the firm. \u2018Architecture becomes an experiential tool that merges with the playground.\u2019<\/p>\n

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all renderings by Sordo Madaleno, unless stated otherwise<\/p>\n

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seven circular buildings form the Canadian School building<\/p>\n

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The Mexican team<\/a> of Sordo Madaleno uses the natural 3-meter slope of the site to organize the school into two experiences. Above, a park-like roof connects to the playground; below, a sheltered world hosts learning. \u2018This typology allowed us to challenge traditional design approaches. Despite the defined boundary, we envisioned a central space that integrates with the surrounding environment. The building itself becomes part of the playground, blending into the environment. From this vantage point, the school can be seen in harmony with the nearby volcano,\u2019 explains Fernando Sordo Madaleno<\/p>\n

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The layout itself breaks from the linear school format with a radial plan, made up of seven circular buildings divided into 24 wedge-like segments. These house everything from classrooms and offices to a cafeteria, gardens, and sports facilities. The spaces open inward toward shared courtyards, creating a sense of community and openness. Importantly, 62% of the site remains unbuilt, turning the school into a porous landscape.<\/p>\n

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The architects custom-made concrete blocks specifically for this project, rugged and durable, but also expressive of the volcanic terrain. These blocks reduce long-term maintenance and reinforce the modular character of the layout.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018Canadian School is inspired by the volcanic context and memory land of the site. Its design is presented as a building that blends with the natural topography.\u2019 shares Fernando Sordo Madaleno.<\/p>\n

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Sordo Madaleno unveils the Canadian School | render by MIR\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

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the structure, whose rooftop serves as a park, appears to be an extension of the land\u00a0| render by MIR<\/p>\n

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the school folds into the terrain | render by MIR<\/p>\n

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the classrooms are surrounded by gardens and courtyards | render by MIR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"project by Sordo Madaleno folds into the earth in mexico \u00a0 Architecture studio Sordo Madaleno unveils the Canadian…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15888,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[1079,76,354,355,49,48,356,75,10646,13995],"class_list":["post-15887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-architecture-in-mexico","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-school-architecture-and-design","tag-sordo-madaleno-arquitectos"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}