Commercial SERIES  •  Project FEATURE

Challenging Conventions – Estudio Molli I Sur by Sur Arquitectura

Suspended over the urban fabric like a daydream, the project unfolds with elegance and strategy, offering a new architectural volume that harmonises with the built environment.

This is not an imposition, but an attentive addition – one that listens, observes, and evolves alongside the rhythms of contemporary life. The architecture becomes an ally of time, not its opponent. It advocates for a flexible, sustainable, and deeply human approach to architecture. Positioned above a busy commercial and dining precinct, Estudio Molli I Sur begins with a fundamental question: how to intervene without overshadowing what’s already there? The answer lies in a measured response – an expansion that integrates seamlessly, avoiding disruption and instead reinforcing the character of the site.

"In a constantly shifting world, we create spaces that move with it – not against it."

Rather than fight the absence of a set program, the architects embraced it. The result is not a static space, but an infrastructure of possibilities. By avoiding predefined functions, the project encourages fluidity – it can host, adapt, divide or connect with equal ease, depending on what is needed in the moment. A deliberate spatial dialogue connects the new with the existing through a series of ramps, openings and staircases. This network of thresholds encourages circulation and transformation, allowing the user to expand or compress the experience of space. The result is more than just access – it’s an invitation to reinterpret spatial boundaries.

The metal skin, supported by a mesh frame, serves not only as a structural and aesthetic device, but as a future-ready element. Over time, it will support vegetation that enhances thermal control and softens the building’s relationship with the urban landscape. It is a living facade – a conversation between architecture and ecology.

"We believe in building with intelligence, without waste or superfluous gestures."

Inside, the whiteness of the surfaces offers a sense of unity and openness, dissolving the distinctions between old and new. It acts as a neutral backdrop that enhances flexibility and clarity, allowing the functions, people, and objects to define the character of the space over time.

The project embraces simple yet effective tools to encourage transformation: curtains, gypsum board partitions, and glazed dividers serve to connect or compartmentalise as needed. These resources support a dynamic environment, enabling the space to continuously redefine itself without requiring structural overhauls.

Flexibility extends to the furnishings and lighting systems, all designed to be movable or removable depending on the space’s function. In this way, the architecture promotes user agency – allowing them to shape the experience and respond to shifting needs with ease and elegance.

At its core, Estudio Molli I Sur embodies a conscious and contemporary design philosophy. Its lightweight structure, scalable solutions and economic sensibility speak to a broader ethos of sustainability. Avoiding decorative excess, the architecture is direct, honest, and deeply in tune with human and environmental context.