Author Description

Fernando Romero graduated from architecture school in Mexico City in 1995, and then worked with Enric Miralles, Jean Nouvel and Rem Koolhaas before setting up his own firm in 1999, called Laboratorio de la Ciudad de Mexico. LCM soon became influential, as one of few offices--if not the only one--carrying out experimental projects in Mexico City's economically vulnerable environment. In 2005, Romero founded the Laboratory of Architecture, LAR. Translation divides LCM and LAR's projects into three categories. "Fluid Bodies" are long-lasting private projects, addressing specific situations with high-tech resources. The Modern Wetdream project from 2001, a villa with a view of the Pacific Ocean, is a perfect illustration of this. "Revised Boxes" are public buildings whose technology is based on industrial products. For example, at the Inbursa bank on Paseo de la Reforma, one of the most prestigious avenues in Mexico City, Romero used laminated glass which looks either opaque or transparent depending on where one stands. "Boxes," the third category of projects, create cheap, low-tech architecture and rapidly applicable designs from commercial wholesale products, the better to attain LAR's goal of addressing contemporary society via a process of architectural translation.