9 Hours in Tijuana

A group of us spent an amazing Friday in Tijuana (TJ) visiting sites of architecture and cultural interest. My last visit was 2 years ago and for some of the others, it was much longer. Based on our visit, I foresee more frequent visits in the future! If you haven't been to TJ in awhile, consider a day trip across the border.

Everyone caught the trolley at convenient stations and met in San Ysidro at the border crossing. Once across the border, our hosts met and transported us to the various sites.

I mostly took video during the day. Here are some of the photos that capture the spirit of the places we visited.

VIA Corporativo (Guillot Arquitectos, Architect: Ramón Guillot, 2010)

Our first stop was Vía Corporativo, Tijuana's first LEED certified building and home of Javier Plascencia's Misión 19 restaurant. The architect, Ramón Guillot, gave us a tour.

A detailed article describing the architecture can be found here 

Culinary Art School (Gracia Studio, Architect: Jorge Gracia, 2010)

The next stop was at a Culinary Art School with the owner Javier González. The institution has been very important in the booming Tijuana and Valle de Guadalupe culinary scene. A detailed article describing the architecture can be found here

Telefónica Gastropark

For lunch we stopped at Telefónica Gastropark. The building, once a warehouse, has been refurbished as a food hall, with brewery inside, and food trucks outside. 

Arboleda Residencial

Arboleda Residencial is a LEED certified residential project. The site provided exceptional views of the city.

Downtown Tijuana

We did a walking tour in downtown Tijuana on Avenida Revolución and visited various projects such as Congreso Norte, One Bunk, Revolución 1764, and Cine Tonalá.

Congreso Norte

The photos above were taken at a space, previously abandoned, where students from Escuela Libre de Arquitectura planned to host a congress later in the day with top architects from Mexico and Latin America. We were fortunate to meet up with Seth and Alexis Sullivan, designers whose work can be seen at various places - here, our next stop One Bunk and others.

One Bunk

One Bunk is a small scale boutique hotel located above La Justina Gastro Bar, inside of the newly renovated Hotel Lafayette. I loved the interior design of the rooms and common spaces.

Revolución 1764

Revolución 1764 is a mixed use development with modern condominiums for rent as well as commercial spaces.

Cine Tonalá

Cine Tonalá is a multi-story building, boasting an independent movie theatre, bar, and expansive terrace with a restaurant. Above is the classic view of Jai Alai taken from the terrace.

It was an fun day, a full day and an educational day. Goodbye TJ, till next time!