Located in a bustling area of the city, historic San Francisco landmark #204, The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been repurposed into a multi-functional architectural complex. Intended to be a launchpad for young startups to live, work, socialize, and develop with like-minded people, Kyiv-based Balbek Bureau imagined a multi-use space that could be used for events such as lectures, hackathons, presentations, exhibitions, and more.
The design group had to analyze and restore portions of the space in accordance with its historical past and had to be sure that any modifications proposed did not disturb the exterior envelope of the building. Primarily an interiors project, Balbek Bureau sought to emphasize the the architectural historicity of the space by contrasting it with inherently modern shapes, shown through the furniture and other additions to the main hall.
As a whole, the complex includes a three-level residential building, now a co-living space, a freestanding education center, the old-church repurposed into a modern event space, and a courtyard connecting all three units. The resulting project provides a dynamic campus for growth, innovation, and collaboration.
5 Comments
A really interesting project.
How about transforms rather than morphs? It looks like interiors and exteriors are still in place, and that the changes are mostly furnishings and uses.
This is just a set for John Wick 4.
You can't even see the bullet holes. Nice job!
it's attractive, but it also seems more like a furniture showroom than an active space.
What a loss. From an iconological point of view, the refitting is a nightmare, or a burlesque. The church and lady represented many things:
The Virgin of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico. She is depicted with brown skin, an angel and moon at her feet and rays of sunlight that encircle her. Her image has been used throughout Mexican history, not only as a religious icon but also as a sign of patriotism. To the present day, Our Lady of Guadalupe remains a powerful symbol of Mexican identity and faith, and her image is associated with everything from motherhood to feminism to social justice.
From Wik.
SF street art.
Now we're invited to fill in the blank:
The cult of startups and the immaculate conception has taken over. And if you remove the actual historical parts, the furnishings and other additions are as boring as they can be.
They couldn't have just preserved the church as a piece of history, a reminder?
Block this user
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
Archinect
This is your first comment on Archinect. Your comment will be visible once approved.