Modern Architectures of North America

Democratic design

The open first floor is roofed by six circular slabs that define six separate rooms. These slabs are made of reinforced concrete and are each 12 meters in diameter. They form a circle around another concrete slab of the same size that is intersected by a spiral staircase connecting the two floors (Rodríguez). This layout avoids the monotony and anonymity of a single large dining room by fragmenting the space into smaller, more intimate rooms (Elena). However, the consistent shape and size of these spaces ensures the second floor as a whole remains egalitarian—no hierarchy exists between the six rooms and even the central slab was constructed at the same size.

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