This text originally published in the book “Spaces: Identity with greatness” by the publishers AM Editores, is included as an introductory article to a series of works that precisely define contemporary architecture in Mexico.

For us, identity does not refer to the equality or similarity, but to the union that makes us feel proud; highly valuable components that shape us culturally and makes us different from the rest.

Due to globalization tendencies and with the help of communication technologies, architectural design has been internationalized and strongly industrialized. This new conditioning factor gives us the opportunity to design and build on contexts that have possibly never been explored before. The identity of each project must be unique, for it responds to the architect’s own personality and world view, as well as to the conditions of the local environment, no matter where.

Thus, I think that today, more than ever, we must, have a projection, a vision, a presence and a global existence while respecting personal identity and the context in question.

Architecture used to have a connotation of permanence that today becomes a challenge. It has slowly faded away due to the city’s space constant change and reuse. However, spaces that speak identity and greatness are those that surpass that challenge, transcending time, preserving their essence and awakening sensations, no matter the purpose they were destined to throughout the years.

I think that the greatness of a space actually lies within key elements, such as height, proportions, lighting and orientation, for these essentials wrap around it giving birth to truly timeless spaces. Here, greatness must be taken as a privilege –more so than as sumptuousness–, which can really be obtained through bare simplicity.

Spaces of greatness don’t only meet physical needs, but emotional and spiritual as well, ruling over the most complex of test: time.