Hasta La Ideas

This bone-like tower of concrete by Swiss studio Christ & Gantenbein is one of nine architectural interventions along La Ruta del Peregrino, a 72-mile pilgrimage through the mountain landscape of Jalisco, Mexico (+ slideshow).

La Ruta del Peregrino has been popular since the 17th Century and each year around two million pilgrims embark on the journey from the city of Ameco, across the Cerro del Obispo mountain and along to the town of Talpa de Allende.

The new structures were designed to provide landmarks and shelters along the route, and Christ & Gantenbein has constructed one near the peak of the mountain.

“The pilgrims’ column sets a mark that is visible from afar,” said architect Emanuel Christ. “It also creates an exciting, almost transcendental space for those that have already reached it.

A simple doorway invites visitors inside, where an open ceiling encourages them to look up towards the sky. “The simple yet striking room inside the column, shaped by the contorted wall, is nothing more than the view to the sky, manifested in architecture,” said the architect.

Despite being a religious pilgrimage towards the shrine of the Virgin of Talpa, the architect also explains how they avoided religious iconography and symbolism. “It was important for us to allow a spiritual experience that is directly connected with an immediate physical and spatial perception,” he said.

Above: site plan

The Cerro del Obispo is the fifth structure we’ve featured from the route, following a precariously balanced viewing platform by Elemental, a stone pier by Ai Weiwei, a ring of concrete and a spiralling pavilion.

Above: floor plan

See all our stories about La Ruta del Peregrino »

Photography is by Iwan Baan.

Here’s a project description from Christ & Gantenbein:

Cerro del Obispo Lookout Point Ruta del Peregrino, Mexico, 2012 Pilgrim’s Column

Each year around two millions of people set out on their pilgrimage through the Mexican county of Jalisco, along the 117 kilometres of the Ruta del Peregrino. The route of their pilgrimage leads them from the city of Ameca, over the mountain Cerro del Obispo until the point of the Espinazo del Diablo and finally into the destination town of Talpa de Allende with the shrine of the Holy Virgin of Talpa.

Above: section

In 2008 the tourism office of Jalisco resolved upon a master plan in order to create a better infrastructure for the pilgrims and at the same time draw visitors from around the world to Western Mexico. The Mexican architects Tatiana Bilbao, Derek Dellekamp and Rozana Montiel have invited selected architects and designers to grapple in their designs with the history of the pilgrims’ route as well as with the craggy mountain landscape in the West of Mexico. Nine land-marks are the outcome of this process, among these places to rest and places of contemplation, designed by Dellekamp Arquitectos, Rozana Montiel (Periférica), Alejandro Aravena (Elemental), HHF architects, Luis Aldrete, Tatiana Bilbao, Ai Weiwei (Fake Design), Godoylab and Christ & Gantenbein.

Above: elevation

The column on the peak of the Cerro del Obispo, a mountain with almost 2,000 metres height, protrudes like a huge bone out of the woody landscape above the valley of Ameca. A detached, organically shaped monolithic concrete wall composes the tower of 26.55 metres that can be acceded from one side through a small entrance. Inside a unique view into the sky awaits the visitor – and the sunlight, that comes in through the opening, reflected from the light concrete walls, gathering on the floor.

Above: route diagram

The post Ruta del Peregrino: Cerro del Obispo
Lookout Point by Christ & Gantenbein appeared first on Dezeen.

Our third story about Mexican pilgrimage La Ruta del Peregrino features this linear stone pier by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.

The pavilion, named The Sanctuary, angles up from the landscape to create a platform overlooking the Jalisco mountains.

The structure is stepped in profile to create a length of seating for resting pilgrims.

La Ruta del Peregrino is a 117km-long pilgrimage, along which each new structure provides a shelter and landmark.

Ai Weiwei is still missing after being detained by authorities at Beijing airport on 3 April.

Photography is by Iwan Baan – see more images of this project on his website.

See more stories about La Ruta del Peregrino on Dezeen »

Here is some more information about the wider project:

Ruta del Peregrino
Jalisco, Mexico

Ruta del Peregrino is a religious phenomenon centred and moved by the adoration to the virgin of talpa.

La Ruta del Peregrino (Pilgrim’s Route) stretches out on a distance of 117 kilometers.

Approximately two million people participate each year in this religious phenomenon coming from different states of México to walk through the mountain range of Jalisco, starting in the town of Ameca, ascending to el Cerro del Obispo at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level, crossing the peak of Espinazo del Diablo to descend to it’s final destination in the town of Talpa de Allende to meet with the Virgin of Talpa as an act of devotion, faith and gratitude.

This religious voyage has taken place since the 17th century, for the pilgrims the act of faith is carried to penitence, the conditions of the route are harsh. This sacrifice carried with austerity is an essential part of the promise or offering that become the ritual of purification.

This project aims to provide the historical route with better conditions for the pilgrims as well as to maximize the social and economical profit for this area by taking advantage of this massive event. Based on a systematic vision the project becomes a sustainable site with different layers of meaning.

Click above for larger image

As we focus on the whole, the master plan consists of an ecological corridor with infrastructure and iconic architectural pieces that add to the religious ritual and also aim to appeal to a broader audience and allow the Route to have a flow of visitor beyond the religious.

This book focuses on the iconic narrative given to the Route with 7 pieces that strongly relate both to the extraordinary landscape and to the religious ritual, becoming the imaginary landmarks of a deeply rutted phenomenon.
 Each landmark by a different designer, a group of individual dialogues with specific sites and intentions that add up, to weave a single story.

Credits and Data

Project title: Sanctuary
Location: Estanzuela
State: Built
Architects: Fake Design
Team: Ai Weiwei, Andy Lee, André Murer

Title of whole project: Route of Pilgrim
Client: Secretaría de Turismo de Jalisco
Program: Masterplan of Route of Pilgrim
Location: From Ameca to Talpa de Allende, Jalisco, Mexico

Curatorial team: Tatiana Bilbao and Derek Dellekamp
Masterplan and project coordination: Rozana Montiel and Derek Dellekamp
Investigation team: Adiranne Montemayor, Carlos Zimbron
Invited architects and designers: Ai Weiwei / Fake Design (China), Luis Aldrete
(Mexico), Tatiana Bilbao (Mexico), Christ & Gantenbein AG Architekten (Switzerland), Dellekamp Arquitectos (Mexico), Elemental (Chile), Godoylab (Mexico), HHF architects (Switzerland), Periférica (Mexico), Taller TOA (Mexico)

Basic services- various- Godoylab
Environmental strategy- TOA|Taller de Operaciones Ambientales

See also:

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Sanctuary Circle by Dellekamp and Periférica	Lookout Point by HHF Architects	Jübergtower Hemer Landmark

Lookout Point by Swiss architects HHF is one of eight new architectural structures along La Ruta del Peregrino, a 117km-long pilgrimage route in Mexico.

The route through the mountain range of Jalisco has been popular with pilgrims since the 17th Century, and the new structures are intended to provide shelter and serve as landmarks along the route.

Six of the eight structures along the route are now complete and the final two are under construction.

Other architects who have contributed are Fake Design, Luis Aldrete, Christ & Gantenbein, Dellekamp Arquitectos, Elemental, Godoylab, Omar Orlaineta, Periférica and Tatiana Bilbao.

Dezeen published proposed images of the Lookout Point back in 2009 (see our earlier story).

Photography is by Iwan Baan.

More stories about viewpoints on Dezeen »

More projects by HHF Architects on Dezeen »

Here is some more text from the architects:

Ruta del Peregrino
Jalisco, Mexico

Ruta del Peregrino is a religious phenomenon centred and moved by the adoration to the virgin of talpa.

La Ruta del Peregrino (Pilgrim’s Route) stretches out on a distance of 117 kilometers.

Approximately two million people participate each year in this religious phenomenon coming from different states of México to walk through the mountain range of Jalisco, starting in the town of Ameca, ascending to el Cerro del Obispo at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level, crossing the peak of Espinazo del Diablo to descend to it’s final destination in the town of Talpa de Allende to meet with the Virgin of Talpa as an act of devotion, faith and gratitude.

This religious voyage has taken place since the 17th century, for the pilgrims the act of faith is carried to a penitence, the conditions of the route are harsh.

This sacrifice carried with austerity is an essential part of the promise or offering that become the ritual of purification.

This project aims to provide the historical route with better conditions for the pilgrims as well as to maximize the social and economical profit for this area by taking advantage of this massive event.

Based on a systematic vision the project becomes a sustainable site with different layers of meaning.

As we focus on the whole, the master plan consists of an ecological corridor with infrastructure and iconic architectural pieces that add to the religious ritual and also aim to appeal to a broader audience and allow the Route to have a flow of visitor beyond the religious.

The focus is on the iconic narrative given to the Route with 7 pieces that strongly relate both to the extraordinary landscape and to the religious ritual, becoming the imaginary landmarks of a deeply rutted phenomenon.

Each landmark by a different designer, a group of individual dialogues with specific sites and intentions that add up, to weave a single story.

See also:

.

Top of Tyrol by Astearchitecture	Jübergtower Hemer Landmark	Kielder Observatory by Charles Barclay