"LA MERCED" MASTER PLAN

Mexico City, Mexico

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"LA MERCED" MASTER PLAN

Mexico City, Mexico

Firm

lab07

Type

Landscape + Planning › Masterplan

YEAR

2013

TEAM LED BY JOSÉ MUÑOZ VILLERS AND CARLOS MARIN WINS THE COMPETITION FOR THE CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN FOR ‘LA MERCED’, MEXICO CITY’S MOST DYNAMIC COMMERCIAL AREA.

On December 16th, Mexico City’s Government through its Department of Economic Development (SEDECO) and the Advisory Council to Rescue ‘La Merced’ in partnership with Mexico City’s College of Architects and the Society of Mexican Architects (CAM-SAM) unveiled the winning team led by Carlos Marín and José Muñoz-Villers for the Conceptual Project for the Master Plan to rescue ‘La Merced’ Competition. Muñoz-Villers and Marin worked in collaboration with Juan José Zárate & Edith Gutiérrez (architects), Víctor Hugo Hofmann & Emma Morales (urban planners), Ariel Rojo (industrial designer) and Hugo Sánchez (landscape architect).

The project was selected among 100 other proposals by a respected multidisciplinary jury conformed by Gabriel Mérigo Basurto (Jury Chair), Bernardo Gómez-Pimienta, Desireé Martínez, Luis Wertman, Joaquín Álvarez Ordóñez, Cecilia Martínez Leal, Gabriela Alarcón, Martha Schteingart, Juan Pablo Benlliure, etc. Important authorities were present at the price award ceremony; among them were Salomón Chertorivski (Secretary of Economic Development of Mexico City’s government) and Jacobo Zabludovski, a renowned Mexican journalist and also the Honorary President of the Advisory Council for the rescue of la Merced.

Marin and Muñoz-Villers proposal is based on short, medium and long-term strategies aimed at ‘revitalising the area known as La Merced via the revaluation of public space and public marketplaces as articulating elements of social, commercial and cultural activities, as well as detonators of a process to reconstruct the public realm reconnecting neighbourhoods and improving social interaction, as well as image, mobility, security, efficiency and habitability in the area’.

The principles that rule the conceptual Project were: 1) Sustainable and Resilient Model; 2) Public Marketplaces rescue as means and objects of urban revitalisation; 3) Detonate and strengthen the commercial, social, historic and cultural value of ‘La Merced’; 4) Enable and make more efficient mobility, accessibility and connectivity in the area; 5) Reorganise the urban structure and development potential.

The conceptual proposal is organised by creating a new public square in the heart of ‘La Merced’ and a network of pedestrian walkways to provide a space for social development, recreation and cultural activities in the neighbourhood, while giving greater visibility to neighbouring markets, marking new pedestrian flows that will contribute to the increase of commercial potential of the area. The square ‘Plaza Central La Merced’ will also serve as a meeting point and shelter in case of contingencies or natural disasters ensuring the safety of 200,000 people who visit the area on a daily basis.

Amongst the key strategies included in the project are: the creation of an integral architectural identity for marketplaces which are not listed; revaluation of built heritage by recovering streets, squares and atriums and incorporating creative new uses in the area; retrofitting the upper level in the main marketplace (Nave Mayor La Merced) to provide community facilities for the families of merchants and residents in the area; the creation of a National Gastronomic Centre using traditional Mexican cuisine as an opportunity for economic development and tourism; the creation of a Multimodal Transport Centre (CETRAM) to improve transport and increase trade opportunities and retrofitting underutilized buildings like ‘San Ciprián marketplace’ to increase the supply of commercial and storage places, while providing a new ‘dry port’ and waste management areas. In this case the goal is to provide the best conditions for all the merchants in the area.

The conceptual proposal also includes an urban structure strategy aimed at consolidating and strengthening the different facilities incorporating new options for housing, mobility, community development, retail, sports, culture and entertainment. The conceptual proposal shows properties identified as ‘R3’ which means they have the potential to be rehabilitated, revitalized and revaluated, improving their current condition.

The proposal includes a detailed strategy to provide green elements to the area. The idea is based on viewing the tree as a fundamental piece to revalue public space. The tree is conceived as an important identity piece in the most representative spaces in ‘La Merced’ and works as an element of orientation. It is concentrated in groups, alignments, screens and landmarks to help direct pedestrian flows framing valuable views and mitigating those who are not so pleasant. The possibility of incorporating urban gardening was considered in certain areas to bring families together and create a culture of healthy living and eating.

The strategy of street furniture aims to contribute in creating a Mexico City brand image for public spaces using three kinds of elements: dark stone pieces inspired by pre-Hispanic motifs to remember the original settlers; the urban furniture line ‘Alma’ that has been tested in other successful public spaces in the city creating a holistic view; and finally new elements designed specifically for the ‘La Merced’ area including a commemorative hydrant series to remember people of the risks of a contingency like the fire that consumed nearly a third of the nave previously this year. Other elements, such as informative totems, special luminaries and others, are being considered in order to add to the legibility of the area.

The winning project will be part of an exhibition where all the 100 proposals will be shared with the public, and a book will be publish to recover all the participants’ inputs.

www.lab07.mx
www.munoz-villers.com