A very special place is found in the middle of a chaotic but spectacularly beautiful and incomparable city, a space which gives the opportunity of connecting with its roots and its essence to all of those who have the opportunity to attend to it; whether visiting the art heritage, tasting a healthy and delicious dish, shopping local at the store, or taking a yoga class, anyone who goes to Tetetlán, located in the southern part of Mexico City, will be fascinated by being a so unique and honest place.
We had the opportunity to talk with the team that makes up this fantastic project and this is what they told us.
How would you define the entire concept of Tetetlán?
Convinced that integration and community are the principle of every action, Tetetlán is a community based on the regeneration and sustainability of values, practices and actions; our base is culture in the widest sense of the word. We installed a restaurant with organic and sustainable food in addition to a library, a photo library and a sound recordings library with more than 20,000 volumes in what once was the stable of Casa Pedregal, before known as Casa Prieto López.
Aware of the value of traditions, responsible consumption and handmade work, we have a store for our community and visitors in general where the regenerative and handmade prevails. The store is not directed to a specific social stratum, but to those who enjoy a particular, genuine and honest way of understanding life. In the same place we have specific courses in philosophy and life values, painting, music and literature, and we complement our project with a body awareness center where Yoga, dance, Qi Gong and special courses oriented to physical and spiritual health are practiced.
What do you consider to be the main essence behind this project?
Honesty and commitment to our community that begins with the land, our farmers, teachers, artisans and artists, in order to transmit in the best possible way the effort and magnificent results in their work to our clients and visitors; we enjoy being the link that generates and enriches this community.
Can you tell us about the architectural value of the space where Tetetlán is located?
In 1947, when Luis Barragán began the development of Pedregal de San Ángel, he planned and began the construction of the first and emblematic house of the development: Casa Pedregal, which then had stables. Shortly after having rescued and restored Casa Pedregal, we were able to acquire the adjoining property and after two years of restoration and preservation we installed Tetetlán: the main thing was to restore the old stables as much as possible. The intervention for the necessary facilities in Tetetlán is completely reversible, so it doesn´t affect the historical value of the original construction.
