Carsten Höller Unveils Massive Architectural Slide Installation in Mexico City
Four giant metallic slides transform the Antara development into an interactive urban experience.
1Largest Slide Project
Artist Carsten Höller has launched his most extensive slide installation to date within Mexico City. Located at the Antara development in the Polanco neighborhood, the project features four distinct metallic structures. These slides vary significantly in scale, ranging from 12 to 38 meters in height and 31 to 90 meters in length.
2Architectural Integration
The installation was developed in collaboration with the local architecture studio Sordo Madaleno and its development arm, SOMA. The slides are strategically positioned around the central courtyard of the Antara complex. This area serves as a hub for retail, office spaces, and hospitality venues, including a future 43-storey Rosewood Hotel tower.
3Connecting Urban Spaces
The slides function as a physical conduit, linking disparate parts of the building complex. Users descend from various levels—including offices, restaurants, and retail zones—to a shared outdoor landing area. By converging these different sectors, the design forces a physical encounter between individuals who would otherwise remain within their separate professional environments.
4Psychological Design Intent
Höller describes the experience as a blend of joy and fear, designed to disrupt the user's daily routine. He characterizes the descent as an existential moment, comparing the sensation to a voluptuous panic. The artist aims to transport participants into a dreamlike state, effectively removing them from their usual, lucid form of being.
5Curated Public Art
The installation is curated by Arte Abierto, an organization focused on integrating art into public and commercial spaces. By placing the slides in a high-traffic courtyard that houses major corporate tenants like Google, the project challenges the traditional separation between commercial architecture and interactive, experiential art installations within the Colonia Granada district.
6Global Design Context
This project follows a series of similar international installations by Höller. Previous works include slides integrated into a Florentine palazzo, the ArcelorMittal Orbit in London, and the Vitra campus. Each iteration utilizes metallic materials and transparent sections to create a distinct visual and physical dialogue with the host building's existing structural architecture.
7Operational Mechanics
The slides are constructed with metallic frames and transparent segments, allowing for visibility during the descent. They are specifically designed for use by mall-goers and office workers, turning a standard transit between floors into an active, playful experience. The structure effectively turns the building's circulation system into a destination for public engagement.
8Future Urban Impact
As the Antara development continues to expand with the addition of the Rosewood Hotel, the slides remain a permanent fixture of the site. The project highlights a growing trend of incorporating large-scale, experiential art into upscale commercial developments. It remains to be seen how this integration influences future architectural designs in Mexico City.