PILARES Iztapalapa is part of an initiative promoted by the Mexico City Government and coordinated by Carlos Zedillo to provide educational and cultural centers for the city’s most underserved neighborhoods. It is located in an area with high levels of insecurity, situated behind the Eastern Penitentiary, one of the largest and most populated prisons in the country (with 12,000 inmates).
The architectural program includes workshops for carpentry, gastronomy, and body arts, a cyber school, and a reading room, as well as an open forum for multidisciplinary activities, all arranged on a single floor. The building was designed with inward-facing views, thus concealing any sight of the prison and disassociating the community center from its harsh context. This is achieved through four central patios and two gardens on each side that allow for cross-ventilation and natural lighting in all spaces. The patios serve as connectors between the different classrooms and create a covered pathway that avoids the use of corridors.