Ever since James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio + Renfro realized the first section of the phenomenally successful High Line in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, cities around the globe have sought their own urban splint of greenery and public amenity. From MVRDV’s Seoul Skygarden to Heatherwick’s Garden Bridge in London, many of the biggest names in the profession have chimed in, and now it is the turn of Fernando Romero Enterprise.
One of the prominent firms in Mexico, FR-EE has been tapped to design a major new urban intervention along one of Mexico City’s oldest roads. As illustrated in the firm’s video above, the Cultural Corridor on Avenida Chapultepec will weave its way along the thoroughfare in the heart of the capital, stitching together disparate pedestrian routes to create a continuous walkway linking a plethora of different public environments together.
While comparisons to the High Line will be inevitable, FR-EE’s ambitious proposal is considerably more complex in many ways, as Fernando Romero is attempting to create what he calls “the complete street.” The linear park comprises interwoven ribbons of walkable infrastructure, with many sections rising, falling, and splitting in response to the adjacent buildings, roadways, and the metro line beneath. Some pathways overlap with others to create covered terraces that will accommodate al fresco cafés, as well as spaces for street entertainers and artists.
The design was inspired by the city’s historic viaduct, the remains of which will form a key feature of the park. The fluid nature of the Corridor evokes a river flowing through an urban canyon, and further references the region’s aqueous heritage will be made with fountains and a waterfall. Fernando Romero is also proposing to double the number of trees across the site, with a rich array of native plants and flowers visible in each rendering. Tying into the park’s cultural goals, the end of the promenade will form an open-air amphitheater large enough to host concerts and theatrical performances.
FR-EE designed Cultural Corridor Chapultepec in collaboration with FRENTE arquitectura and RVDG arquitectura + urbanismo.