Carsten Höller Debuts Record-Breaking Slide Installation in Mexico City
Artist Carsten Höller has unveiled his most expansive architectural slide project to date at the Antara development in Mexico City. According to Dezeen, the installation features four metallic and transparent structures that connect various commercial and hospitality spaces, aiming to disrupt daily routines through a physical experience of speed and height.
Context from Industry Pulse
The installation of Mexico City Slides coincides with a broader trend of integrating high-concept art into commercial developments, as seen in other recent projects like the sculptural portals at Giza and the glass prism memorial by Oshinówò Studio. By placing large-scale interactive art in a courtyard shared by Google offices and a future Rosewood Hotel, developers are using experiential design to define luxury and corporate identity. This project mirrors Höller’s previous work at the Vitra campus and London’s ArcelorMittal Orbit, where architectural interventions serve as both landmarks and functional diversions. The focus on sensory experiences, such as the combination of joy and fear, highlights a shift toward architecture that prioritizes emotional engagement over traditional utility.
The new installation, titled Mexico City Slides, is situated within the Polanco neighborhood as part of a major development led by Sordo Madaleno and its development branch, SOMA. As Dezeen reports, the project consists of four distinct slides that vary in scale, with heights reaching up to 38 meters and lengths extending to 90 meters. These structures are positioned within a central courtyard, serving as a functional and artistic link between several buildings in the Colonia Granada district.
According to Dezeen, the slides facilitate movement from diverse areas of the complex, including retail zones, office spaces, and hospitality venues, down to a shared outdoor landing area. The site currently houses offices for technology firm Google and is slated to include a 43-storey tower for the Rosewood Hotel. The installation was curated by Arte Abierto to integrate art directly into the urban fabric of the mixed-use destination.
Constructed with metallic frames and transparent sections, the slides allow participants to view the surrounding architecture during their descent. Dezeen notes that the artist intended for the work to bring people from different professional and social backgrounds together in a shared physical moment. By transitioning from offices or restaurants into the air, participants experience a temporary departure from their standard environment.
This project follows a series of similar large-scale interventions by the artist across the globe. Previous works mentioned by Dezeen include a slide woven through the ArcelorMittal Orbit in London, an installation at a palazzo in Florence, and a tower located on the Vitra campus. The Mexico City project represents the largest iteration of this concept, emphasizing the intersection of sculptural art and functional transit within a dense metropolitan setting.
The Industry Pulse Bottom Line
Höller’s largest slide project demonstrates how developers are utilizing experiential art to bridge retail, office, and hospitality sectors, transforming standard transit into a shared, high-impact physical event for urban occupants.