Feria de las Culturas Amigas

Project by Estudio MMX*

It took just three and a half days to erect this temporary 6,000-square-metre structure in Mexico City’s Zócalo, the biggest and most important square in the city. The structure for the Fair –an annual event that promotes the cultures and traditions of other nationalities– was built with scaffolding and canvas. While the scaffolding geometries define the volume of the inhabitable envelope, the façade mesh makes the structural three-dimensional logic visible. In order for the FCA to be successful, as well as to ensure shade and comfort to visitors during the fair, the main plaza needed to be subdivided into smaller urban atmospheres. The three radial structures of the scheme reconfigure the Zócalo into three different public open spaces, changing the urban scale of the public realm. Where the three buildings met, a triangular pavilion was also built which stood for Mexico City’s representation. Zócalo is dynamic and able to cope with a great diversity of temporary architectural explorations.

2015 | Design