Liverpool Insurgentes

Open in 1962, this department store was one of the first in the country to integrate the building-plaza concept, for the store was connected to Galerias Insurgentes through bridges and underground passages. The urban development of the area caused the original open air plaza to be removed to expand the store. The remodeling was designed by architect Michel Rojkind, who projected a futuristic concept for the store.

It is one of the most visited stores during Christmas season by Mexican families, for its Christmas village is one of the most spectacular and entertaining of the city. It features an impressive Christmas tree, an ice slide and activities for children to write their letters to the Three Wise Men.

Why the building is worth a look. The store opened in 1962 in the language of its moment: late functionalism with a jet-age feel, the style Mexico associates with sixties optimism. Decades later, Michel Rojkind's practice reworked it without erasing that character: the facade was wrapped in a grid of three-dimensional modules that shifts with the angle and the hour, turning the store into a visual landmark on Insurgentes. It is one of the few cases in the city where a commercial refurbishment became an architectural attraction in its own right.

How the complex works. It was among the first stores in the country to apply the building-plaza idea: it connects to the Galerías Insurgentes mall by bridges and underground passages, so you can move from department store to shopping centre without stepping outside. The original open-air plaza disappeared under a later extension of the store. Grupo Liverpool only became a property developer some two decades afterwards, and this complex was the rehearsal for that model.

What you will find. Fashion, beauty, homeware, electronics and store services in the department store, and the usual shops, boutiques and restaurants in Galerías. It is a sound option on a rainy day or a spare afternoon: all under cover, with a food area and bathrooms.

Getting there. The address is Insurgentes Sur 1310, colonia Del Valle. Insurgentes Sur station on metro Line 12 is less than a hundred metres away, and Metrobús Line 1 runs along Insurgentes, the most useful axis for heading north or south across the city from here.