Liverpool Villahermosa Department Store Gets a Twisting Concrete Double Skin

Mexico City-based architectural firm <a href="http://inakiecheverria.com/" target="_blank">Iñaki Echeverria</a> has completed the façade of the popular <a href="http://inhabitat.com/futuristic-blade-runner-style-liverpool-department-store-opens-in-mexico-city/" target="_blank">Liverpool Department Store</a> in Villahermosa with a facelift on its façade. The surface of the retailer was given a textured look with a concrete <a href="http://inhabitat.com/garden-topped-drulingen-daycare-in-france-is-wrapped-in-a-dainty-wooden-lattice/" target="_blank">louver system</a>. The resulting effect is a skin of twisting strips which appear to be soft, but are in fact concrete.

Echeverria was asked to create an innovative and easy to install <a href="http://inhabitat.com/gorgeous-wood-wrapped-alesia-museum-opens-in-burgundy-france/" target="_blank">new skin for the shopping center</a>, which would also be resistant to the extreme humidity of the tropical region.

After trying out both fiberglass and sand molds, concrete was chosen for its durability, agreeability with the climate and aging qualities.

After concrete was chosen, the architect experimented with different propeller shapes , that would be joined together <a href="http://inhabitat.com/futuristic-blade-runner-style-liverpool-department-store-opens-in-mexico-city/" target="_blank">on the façade</a>. Each final propeller rotates 180 degrees on its axis, the twists appearing in various points on each strip.

Together, the twists form a pattern on the building’s façade, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/origami-building-glitters-near-the-eiffel-tower/" target="_blank">revealing diamond shapes</a> between each pair of propellers. The varying twist heights also create a look of movement, making the building look as if it is breathing through an elaborate set of gills.

Throughout the day, the changes in the sun’s position creates different effects on the skin, through the interplay of light and shadow. At night, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/prismatic-starhill-gallery-renovation-sparkles-and-glows-with-led-lights/" target="_blank">a set of LED lights</a> are arranged behind the propellers, creating a mixture of light and colors which create a sleek yet haunting effect.

Echeverria’s propeller skin transformed the department store into a modern land mark, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/pedro-scattarella-creates-a-nostalgic-1970s-burger-joint-from-recycled-materials/" target="_blank">under a tight budget and time constraint</a>.