A Public Space Skinned with a Porous Chain Dissolving Boundaries
At the El Palacio de Hierro Polanco flagship store in Mexico City, a commemorative pavilion was unveiled in the plaza to mark the building’s 10th anniversary. In collaboration with curator Ana Elena Mallet, the local studio Lanza Atelier presented the A10 Pavilion, which reinterprets urban fountains and waterscapes. It is installed over a 14-meter-diameter existing circular fountain at the center of the plaza.
The department store, designed by Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos in 2014, integrates the characteristics of four major districts of Mexico City—Paseo de la Reforma, Roma–Condesa, Lomas de Chapultepec, and El Pedregal de San Ángel—through its layered spatial composition. Located in the commercial core of Polanco, it brings together diverse urban landscapes and everyday cultures within an interior environment.
The 8-meter-high, 18-meter-diameter cylindrical structure is based on a steel frame and wrapped in more than 1,500 galvanized chains. This porous chain skin dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior. The existing fountain occupies the center, forming a still water surface acting as a reflective basin that mirrors the surrounding environment. A circular wooden bench encircles the basin, creating a small resting area and a quiet, contemplative space within the city.
At the core of the structure is a water circulation system. Water is drawn up to the roof, then released to flow slowly down the chains before being recirculated through an underground channel. The interaction of flowing water and reflective metal produces a constantly shifting façade that changes throughout the day, giving the structure a sense of living movement.
At the center, water is released from four points, referencing the four fountains located in the Mexico City districts that informed the building’s design. The water surface reflects light and the surrounding city, forming a meditative urban space.
Inside, a steel stair and elevated walkway system allows visitors to reach a viewing platform approximately 4.5 meters above ground. From there, they experience the plaza and the city from a new perspective.
Rather than a symbolic monument, the pavilion tests new possibilities for public space. Through water, reflection, movement, and porosity, it opens the department store plaza to the city and transforms it into an accessible civic ground.
Project: A10 Pavilion / Location: Av Moliere 222, Polanco, Polanco II Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11530 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico / Curation: Ana Elena Mallet / Architect: LANZA atelier (Isabel Abascal, Alessandro Arienzo) / Project team: Genevieve Parkes, Francesco Fiorillo, Sofía Yáñez, Hazel Flaherty, Alejandra Richard / Engineer: KOVA Innovación, Grupo Fremer / Construction: labg (Eric Valdez Olmedo) / Client: El Palacio de Hierro / Use: pavilion / Completion: 2025 / Photograph: ©Andrés Cedillo / ESPACIOS (courtesy of the architect)
