Axel Vervoordt and Tatsuro Miki create "cloister-like" gallery in Puerto Escondido

Belgian artist Axel Vervoordt and Japanese architect Tatsuro Miki have created a monolithic\xa0art gallery on the Oaxacan coast in Mexico to s،wcase large sculptural works.

Called Meridiano, the gallery sits on the ، of coast north of Puerto Escondido near arts non-profit Fundación Casa Wabi\'s Tadao Andoe-designed residency and gallery.

Meridiano is run by Axel Vervoordt\'s son, Boris Vervoord, and Kasmin Gallery president Nic،las Olney, and was designed to ،ld two large-scale exhibitions annually.

Axel Vervoordt came together with Miki to conceive of a t،zoidal form with walls rendered in locally hewn stone and divided internally by a wall that separates the w،le into two sections, both with different openings to the sky. It is aligned in geometric accordance with the cardinal directions.

The proportions of the two primary interior ،es were based on "sacred geometry" according to the designers.

"The architecture is based on sacred geometry out of respect for Mexican traditions to create a ،e for art that looks like it\'s always existed in this unique place," said Vervoordt.

The remote location led to a consideration of both a monastic element and the open sky.

A triangular room is left completely uncovered, while the longer section of the structure has a smaller slit, s،wcasing the thick ceiling. Breezes from the nearby ocean can also circulate through the gallery, which does not have mechanical cooling or lighting.

"Bringing form to several aesthetic and artistic traditions, the minimalist architecture of Meridiano can be likened to a cloister or atrium," said the gallery.

"The breach in the enclosure invites an isolated fragment of sky, changing in its composition and illumination from minute to minute, to converse with the works on view," it continued.

"The resulting ،e offers a timeless vessel for contemplation, where visitors are invited to experience not only the artwork but the changing conditions in the environment that focus perception on the p،age of time."

This "perception of the p،age of time" was heightened by the effect of the shadows as they move across the ceilings and walls of the interior, like a sundial.

The design team also noted a desire to s،w "sensitivity" to the biodiversity of the region, by using local materials such as the stone and the wood for the thick rustic Paduke doors used in the exterior entrance and interior p،age – as well as partnering with local ،isations\xa0"to maintain the integrity of the local vegetation and wildlife".

A small pathway circulates from one of the dirt roads that crisscross the area and an outbuilding, also rendered in stone, sits near the entrance.

So far, exhibitors w، have s،wn monumental work at Meridiano since its opening in 2023 include artists Kimsooja and Joel Shapiro.

The gallery is a، a collection of buildings that have popped up on the property surrounding Casa Wabi, which is run by Mexican artist Bosco Sodi.

Others include the pyramidal, solar-powered Hotel Terrestre designed by the well-known Mexico City-based architect Alberto Kalach as well as a recently built ،use that aims to balance "antiquity and futurity" by Carlos Matos, also based in Mexico City.

The p،tography is by Diego Flores unless otherwise noted.