Situation: Chimalhuacán, Mèxic
Client: OPPTA. Observatorio Panamericano Paisaje Territorio Arquitectura
Area: 7.600 Ha
Competition: 2012
1st Prize
Team: Jordi Safont-Tria, Anna Gutiérrez, Álvaro Cuéllar
Collaborators: Israel Barroso, Max Gimeno, Nicolás Martínez, Ema Stojevic. (Competition carried out in TOC, Taller Obert de Concursos de la ETSAB – UPC)
Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in one Plaza of Chimalhuacán
The guiding thread of the project was inspired by Diego Rivera’s mural for the Hotel del Prado, “Dream of a Sunday afternoon in Alameda Park”, where he imagines a walk through the Mexican history. That public space becomes a catalyst for citizens of different periods, professions, age and social class.
Our proposal takes this conception of Alameda Park as a place for gathering and urban collage. The new plazas of Chimalhuacán are strategically implemented onto the territory to structure and assure the minimum amenities for each neighbourhood: rainwater control and treatment, basic supplies, sewerage, mobility, collection of waste materials, facilities and public spaces with green areas.
Each plaza defines one basic action unit that we call infrastructural nucleus. This device can be implemented in stages according to the priority and influence of the place, or in a scattered manner based on isolated interests. Once implanted the basic amenities, the form of the plaza will vary depending on the morphology of the site. Each intervention will promote continuity of streets and access to the neighbour units. Besides, every plaza has two leading tasks: on the one hand, to encourage activities and program, and on the other hand, to allow for new construction needed in each location, whether it is residential, public facility or industrial.
The aim of the project is to imagine a sequence of plazas which provides free space every 2.000 or 2.500 inhabitants; which approximately corresponds to a radius of influence of 250m (20 hectares). The image of the project is a dream, a vision of a future where neighbours and visitors will be able to take a walk through any of the plazas of Chimalhuacán on a Sunday afternoon.
