Shelter: December highlights

Shelter Originals: Mexity
Mexico 2022
A Shelter Originals Production by Kliwadenko Novas
Scarcity. Population density. Disaster recovery. Many of our cities are facing these problems. Meet the Mexican architects building solutions for the City of Tomorrow. Dive into contemporary Mexican design that seeks to build in harmony with pre-Hispanic history. Come on a journey to discover design secrets within the urban fabric of this Mexican metropolis. Directed by Chilean journalist Kate Kliwadenko and Spanish architect Mario Novas, Mexity is an edgy exploration of spaces that enhance life in the built environment of Mexico City. This four-part series is the most recent collaboration between Shelter and Kliwadenko Novas Productions, following up 2021’s Architecture On The Edge, and continues to explore design innovation from Latin & Central America. “What’s happening here is really important in the Latin American scene. Here we risk.” – Abel Perles, Productora
Episode 3: Upcycling – 5 December
“When the previous century’s architects arrived somewhere they usually tore everything down in order to start from scratch.” – Julio Amezcua, Reurbano Valuable architecture from previous decades lies abandoned throughout Mexico City. Even worse – some of these historical gems are being recklessly demolished. A new generation of architects and developers are seeking to reactivate these spaces, breathing new life into their foundations. This episode features modern architects mixing the old with the new, working to protect heritage buildings, restoring earthquake-affected structures and fighting to reduce the impact of gentrification.
Episode 4: Productive Spaces – 12 December
“Laguna was a bankrupt textile factory. I looked to the core of it, trying to understand the use of this place to see what it could become in the future.” – Alberto Kritzler, developer When manufacturing went offshore, many of the bustling factories in Mexico City were abandoned. The value of locally made goods and the jobs they created was forgotten… but these productive spaces are making a comeback. From repurposing derelict Ice and Textile factories, to investing in the local production of bespoke goods and fresh produce, this episode visits a new generation of inspirational artisans in Mexico City.

Live Stream Event: In Conversation with Mario Novas & Kate Kliwadenko
Join the creative team behind the new Shelter Originals series Mexity for an exclusive Shelter live streaming event on December 16 at 7pm AEST. Filmmakers Mario Novas & Kate Kliwadenko join Shelter, to give a special insight into the research, production, discoveries of Mexity; and answer questions about creating their new series. This event is available exclusively to Shelter subscribers.

The Architect & The Light: Vilanova Artigas
(93 mins) 19 December
Brazil 2015
Considered one of the most important names in the architectural history of São Paulo, this documentary rebuilds the life of the Brazilian architect João Batista Vilanova Artigas. His relatives, friends, students and six of his major works tell the history of this iconic Latin American modernist. With major works including the Estádio Cícero Pompeu de Toledo (home of São Paulo FC), the Louveira Residential Complex, the FAU Center at University São Paulo and his own Casa Vilanova Artigas; there are few bigger influences on architecture and Brutalism in Brazil’s most populous city than Artigas. “There’s no architecture on paper!”

The Unknown Trailblazers: City Dreamers
(81 mins) Canada 2018. 26 December
Phyllis Lambert, Blanche Lemco van Ginkel, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander and Denise Scott Brown may not be household names, but architecture and urban planning aficionados likely know that these women have worked with some of the greatest architects of our time, including the likes of Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Louis Kahn and Robert Venturi. City Dreamers explores the changing modern urban environments of these four trailblazing women architects. Each with an extensive list of accomplishments in architecture, planning and landscape architecture dating back to the 1950s, these women have taught, mentored and inspired generations of professionals. From helping design the Seagram Building in New York, to developing the masterplan for Montreal Expo ‘67, to reinventing how we develop urban green spaces; these women have left an indelible mark on cities across North America and Europe over the course of their inspiring careers. “How we live in a city, how people make the space their own, and how they can imagine a space is what makes life magnificent.”