Azotea Sagredo, Mexico City roof structure

Azotea Sagredo roof structure in Mexico City

11 June 2026

Design: Taller MGL

Location: 13th floor, Sagredo 155, San José Insurgentes, Benito Juárez, 03900 Ciudad de México, CDMX – southern Mexico City, Mexico

Photos by Maite Garcia-Lascurain

The project began with a simple problem: how to transform an underused rooftop into a shared, inhabitable space: one capable of supporting new forms of work, gathering and contemplation within the contemporary city?

Located on the thirteenth floor of a residential building in Mexico City, the Azotea Sagredo project was shaped by a series of technical and logistical constraints that became the starting point for the design. The existing structure imposed strict weight limitations, while a complicated access to the site made it impossible to transport large-format elements. These challenges were compounded by the need to work within a limited budget.

In response to these constraints, the project was conceived as a lightweight pavilion assembled from a modular system of small-scale components that could be carried manually to the rooftop and constructed in situ. Rather than a limitation, this condition became an opportunity to develop a precise, efficient and adaptable construction logic.

Perimeter furniture was incorporated directly into the pavilion’s structural framework, removing the need for independent elements and maximizing the available usable space. In doing so, the project maintains an open and adaptable plan, capable of evolving over time to support different modes of occupation and changing spatial requirements.

The spatial experience is guided by two primary objectives: to frame panoramic views of the city to the north and south, and to create a versatile environment capable of evolving alongside the changing needs of its inhabitants. The result is a low-impact architectural intervention that transforms an overlooked piece of urban infrastructure into a place for gathering, work and contemplation, suspended above the city.

We would like to thank our client and everyone who contributed to making this project possible.

Azotea Sagredo re-imagines an unoccupied rooftop. Could you elaborate on the initial vision for this project and how you approached the challenge of transforming overlooked urban infrastructure?

What interested us from the beginning was the idea that rooftops represent one of the city’s largest untapped resources. In Mexico City, they are everywhere, yet most remain inaccessible, fragmented or reserved for technical equipment. We wanted to explore what could happen if one of these forgotten spaces was given back to everyday life.

The ambition was not to create a place capable of accommodating different rhythms and activities throughout the day. Sometimes it functions as a workspace, sometimes as a place to host friends, and sometimes simply as a quiet room open to the sky. That flexibility became central to the project.

In many ways, Azotea Sagredo is about changing our perception of what already exists. Instead of expanding outward, it looks upward, finding new possibilities within the city’s overlooked spaces and transforming them into places of connection, retreat and shared experience.