Esrawe Studio Designs Grupo Arca’s Stone Showroom & Warehouse in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Playing on the notion of a quarry being a ‘manufactured landscape’, Esrawe Studio have designed a showroom and warehouse for natural materials brand Grupo Arca in Guadalajara, Mexico. The project showcases the raw materials and various stone sourced by the company.

“A quarry is the evidence of man’s action on nature; a universe in which men unintentionally sculpt pleats and volumes that result in strange and visually striking geology,” the architects explain. “An organic architecture created by the trace of the search for raw materials, which brings us back to the origin from which the raw materials come.”

A small and discreet opening in the stark, stacked exterior facades opens into a courtyard. Upon entrance to the courtyard, visitors encounter monolithic stone facades that resemble a cliff face, dubbed the ‘agora’ after the ancient Greek word for an artistic and spiritual gathering place. The warehouse has a museum-style layout, with multiple exhibition halls displaying materials with diverse characteristics branching off the courtyard.

The building is divided into two separate volumes that are woven within each other. The quarry houses the Agora courtyard, the Design Centre, the cafeteria, a multipurpose room, and the warehouse. The warehouse is essentially a storage and distribution centre, designed as a neutral canvas that directs attention to the stones on display. Slabs of marble, granite and stone are stacked in rows, at the back of which indoor trees are planted symbolizing a forest that links back to the material’s natural origins.

Rather than a traditional retail concept, Esrawe used technology to promote learning and dissemination of how architecture and design align with the cultural and creative expression of Mexico. QR codes on various materials allow mobile access to information, descriptions, and costs. Clients may also create a database with a purchase and interest history, which also allows Grupo Arca to analyse trends and purchasing behaviour.

[Images courtesy of Esrawe Studio. Photography by Genevieve Lutkin, Jaime Navarro, César Béjar / production: Revista Container & Arquine.]