Plaza. Image Courtesy of José Muñoz Villers Arquitectos + lab07
A design team led by Carlos Marín and José Muñoz-Villers has claimed first prize in Mexico City’s "La Merced" competition for their masterplan proposal to re-conceive the popular marketplace, Plaza Central La Merced. The team’s design, which beat out about 100 other entries, proposed the realization of a new public square to centralize pedestrian activity and to anchor strategies for urban revitalization, such as the reclamation of local heritage sites, the careful manipulation of natural elements, and the installation of urban furniture as a means for placemaking.
To be completed in 2016, 'Archivo' is an open space designed by Zeller & Moye in collaboration with FR-EE that will house a vibrant mix of cultural/design activities, with each floor given a different function. Designed as an "exoskeleton" that opens to its context, 'Archivo' aims to enrich the cultural and social life of Mexico City.