Torre UAD Alamedas / Jonathan Corral Contreras

Architects: Jonathan Corral Contreras
Area: 7,987.60 m²
Year: 2026
Photography: recording.architecture
Design Team: Heriberto Díaz Ortega, Aida Uribe, Sergio Cisneros, Osvaldo Medina, Julio Rodriguez
Contractor: Forum Constructura, Martin Soriano Villanueva, Fernando Soriano Villanueva
Structural Engineering: Jesús González Flores
Location: Durango
Country: Mexico

Torre UAD Alamedas is a university building designed by Jonathan Corral Contreras in Durango, Mexico, with a total built area of 7,987.60 m². Completed in 2026, the project relates to the pedestrian environment of Las Alamedas through its architectural scale, transparent enclosure, and integration of educational spaces with the surrounding landscape. A full-height atrium connects the building’s interior levels visually, while a glazed curtain wall opens views toward the adjacent tree-lined streets. The structural bracing along the southern facade is incorporated into classroom niches, expressing the relationship between engineering and architectural design. The basement accommodates a digital research and consultation area characterized by exposed concrete surfaces and colorful furnishings. Shared spaces include an entrance lobby with a suspended staircase, a black marble sunken plaza, exhibition areas, and three auditoriums on the uppermost level. A rooftop terrace provides additional gathering spaces and views of the city. At street level, an elevated entrance staircase extends the pedestrian environment while addressing potential flooding conditions.

I have always been fascinated by the geometry produced by natural phenomena: the movement of fire in a bonfire, the erosion and landslides that shape mountains, or the forms water takes in an iceberg or a tornado. I believe nature is majestic, and it offers an endless range of geometric references and forms of beauty that I try to remain connected to in my work.
Interview with Jonathan Corral of Jonathan Corral Arquitectos

Torre uad alamedas / jonathan corral contreras

Torre UAD Alamedas approaches the relationship between architecture and urban life through a sequence of spaces that connect institutional activities with the public environment of Durango. Situated within Las Alamedas, an established recreational and pedestrian area defined by tree-lined streets and promenades, the university tower adopts an architectural presence that responds to the scale and character of its surroundings. Its design emphasizes the interaction between the building’s internal organization and the landscape beyond its boundaries.

The central atrium forms the building’s primary spatial element, establishing visual continuity between the surrounding trees and the interior. A glazed curtain wall reveals the lobby from the street, allowing the building’s internal activities to maintain a visible relationship with the pedestrian environment. From the upper levels and circulation routes, framed views of the urban landscape provide a continuous connection with the surroundings.

Along the southern facade, the tower’s structural system becomes part of its architectural expression. The bracing required for structural efficiency is integrated into the classroom layouts, forming niches that accommodate the structural elements within the educational spaces. Rather than concealing these components, the design incorporates them into the building’s spatial organization, establishing a direct relationship between engineering requirements and functional use.

The basement accommodates a digital research and consultation space within the foundation box constructed for the tower. The concrete walls and flooring remain exposed, retaining the material character of the structural enclosure. Furniture with colorful accents introduces contrast against these surfaces, defining an interior environment in which the foundation system remains visually apparent.

Within the lobby, a suspended staircase occupies the center of the atrium, serving as both a sculptural feature and an organizing element for vertical circulation. Adjacent to the staircase, a sunken plaza clad in black marble contrasts with the flooring of the surrounding common areas, which also function as exhibition spaces. The expansive glazed facade takes inspiration from the compositional principles of Gothic stained-glass windows, interpreting their architectural character through a contemporary curtain wall at an urban scale.

Three auditoriums are located on the tower’s uppermost occupied level, providing facilities for lectures and special events. Black surfaces establish a distinct interior atmosphere, differentiating these spaces from the other areas of the building. Pine wood lattice ceilings introduce a contrasting material texture, complemented by exposed structural components, visible ducts, and steel railings.

The rooftop functions as a terrace and observation area, extending the building’s usable spaces above the enclosed educational levels. Its configuration responds to the structural conditions of the upper roof slabs, which divide the terrace into two areas. This arrangement creates separate settings for gathering and contemplating views of the surrounding city.

At street level, a broad staircase establishes a connection between the university entrance and the adjacent pedestrian environment. Conceived as an extension of the public realm, the stepped approach also functions as a shared plaza for pedestrians. Its elevated position addresses the site’s functional requirements by raising the entrance and helping protect the building against potential flooding.

Torre UAD Alamedas brings together educational functions, exposed structural systems, and public space through an architectural approach that emphasizes the relationship between construction and spatial experience. The integration of classroom niches, the adapted foundation basement, interconnected circulation areas, and outdoor gathering spaces establishes a consistent design language. Through these interventions, the university building maintains a direct connection with the urban landscape of Las Alamedas while accommodating its academic and communal programs.