How can a sea urchin inspire the design of a private residential complex and public art center?

Lima Gallery is a residential complex and communal art center open to the public.

This site is home to one of the most important avant-garde galleries in Lima. CAZA was tasked with integrating new housing into the gallery to create a new residential community.

Set along the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the building is designed as a grid-like structure of individual units. Dark aluminium and glass composite panels highlight its sleekness. Its network of private terraces takes its shape from the sea urchin, which adds an organic and textural liveliness to the building’s design.

The building’s ground floor houses the gallery and leads visitors to the interior and outdoor art exhibition space. This open-air courtyard wraps around the gallery’s outdoor exhibition space and maximizes the viewers’ access to the building’s expansive interior. The courtyard shields users from Lima’s desert-like conditions in the summer, while in winter the concrete material functions as a thermal mass.

Along the back of the building, a system of meticulously-placed balconies for each residential unit maximizes the mountain vistas while sustaining each unit’s privacy.

• PROJECT TEAM: Carlos Arnaiz, Laura del Pino, Melissa Bauld
• CLIENT: Private