Monterrey, Mexico | Typology: Masterplans | Year: 2020 | Area: 600,000 sqmts
How to prepare for the future the heart of the municipality with the highest purchasing power in Latin America? This is the question we had to answer when working on this project at the Tecnológico de Monterrey, which was presented to the director of Urban Development of the municipality of San Pedro Garza García. This is a striking project that covers more than 600,000 square meters of land, in the Colonia del Valle. The project includes mixed-use buildings, green walkways, community gardening zones, a school, a design district, 2 museums, a robotic aquarium, 3 skyscrapers between 150 and 200 meters high, an underground subway station, a shopping center, a scientific research complex and a new icon for the city, an observatory that rises as a work of art at the head of the district.
"The biggest challenge in the Colonia del Valle is that we are experiencing an overly accelerated densification process, which is joined by a generational change in property owners in the area since the properties are very old and the young people who inherit these lands are betting on mixed-use developments. This is encouraging the district area to develop vertically, without control or planning, which could lead to major problems in the near future. This is why we were asked to design a masterplan to prepare the district for its next 10 to 50 years of life and for the new changes in height and density limits that the government of Nuevo León has just authorized."
Agustín González explains the importance of creating an urban development plan for the Colonia del Valle area, in San Pedro Garza García.
The new Distrito del Valle, a complex that functions as an integral organism generating shelter, resources, and economic benefits for the inhabitants of the most developed town in Latin America.
Galery of images
The design process
1. Study of the district and identification of urban flows, connections with the rest of the city and natural agents.
The first step was to analyze the district's location, with the aim of deeply understanding how it works and the way it connects with the rest of the city. As the heart of the municipality, this space becomes an interconnection point for public transportation users. Likewise, the natural flows of wind and sun were identified, to determine the design guidelines that will regulate the new buildings in the area. Finally, an action plan is created to transform the district into a living, self-sustainable organism.
2. Regeneration of streets to create complete streets and recovery of abandoned land for the generation of urban parks.
The second step was the in-depth analysis of the streets within and outside the district, in order to propose an urban regeneration plan. This plan contemplates the conversion of current streets into complete streets, the creation of green walkers, and the preparation of city services for the new mixed-use complexes that will be built in the area.
In the following image gallery, you can observe the evolution of the streets, where the first image shows the current state and the last one the final state once the project has been completed.
In summary, the process is as follows:
Current state, with abandoned land and high visual pollution from cables.
Recovery of lands and generation of parks. Improvement of the sidewalks condition.
Transformation to underground services, elimination of cables and reforestation of the area.
Creation of green walkways, urban greeneries, bicycle paths and integral streets.
Natural replacement of single-family homes with mixed-use developments. Extension of public space through dynamic spaces on sidewalks that extend and gain ground from the streets. Project finished and with a totally new lifestyle.
CURRENT SITUATION
FINAL RESULT
3. Design District, a unique shopping experience in Monterrey
In the center of the district, alongside the green corridors, we have decided to include a new Design District. Based on and inspired by successful street-level commercial projects like the Miami Design District or Masaryk Street in Mexico City, the new district will offer everything necessary for you to live an unparalleled shopping experience in one of the most luxurious districts in Latin America. Similarly, the district will offer an opportunity for local and foreign artists to generate artistic exhibitions and demonstrate that we are a highly culturally developed society.
4. Complete streets, the new face of Monterrey
Currently, the municipalities that make up the Metropolitan Area of Monterrey are making a large investment in the regeneration of streets and the improvement of the urban environment in general. That's why, at AGUSTIN AND ARCHITECTS, we decided to design a set of green streets with everything a first-world district deserves.
5. Full refurbishment of the Mol del Valle, the nucleus of the project
The "Mol del Valle" is one of the oldest shopping centers in the country. Located right at the start of Calzada del Valle, one of the most expensive streets in North America, the space occupied by "Mol del Valle" is one of the most privileged locations in the country. Sadly, the mall has been gradually forgotten by the city's population and, while it has a renovated office tower, the shopping center is extremely outdated.
As the saying goes, what is unimportant to some may be gold to others. For us, the historical heritage and the privileged location of the Mol del Valle are invaluable resources for our city. That's why we decided to propose a total regeneration project for the site that this complex occupies. The complex would include 3 skyscrapers, an underground shopping center, an underground metro station, the continent's first robotic aquarium, a contemporary art museum, and an iconic observatory that seeks to become an icon that represents Monterrey for the world.
The complex represents the entrance to the district and gives a completely renewed face to the municipality of San Pedro Garza García. Likewise, the core of the district is integrated with the available land adjoining the road intersection to generate what is known as the "new center of innovation and development" of Monterrey, Nuevo León. The development center includes the aforementioned complex, with its observatory and the Monterrey Museum of Contemporary Art, a new Natural History Museum, the Research and Development Center, and a new Innovative Learning Center.
We greatly appreciate the opportunity to present this project to you and hope it has inspired you as much as it inspired us. Undoubtedly, designing a master plan is one of the most complex tasks an architect can face. However, it is also an opportunity to leave our legacy in our cities and set the pace for urban design for future generations. As Bjarke Ingels aptly said: "My children will grow up in a world where they don't know you can't surf on the rooftops of industrial buildings." In our case, our children will be born in a city where they don't know what it's like to live without tall buildings, without art districts, and without global icons. It's our job to ensure that these elements and that growth are done the right way, the way that generates the greatest possible value for our society.
Thank you for joining us for another entry of AGUSTIN AND ARCHITECTS! We hope you enjoyed this tour. Subscribe to our Newsletter to stay informed about the upcoming projects that our design studio will be presenting.
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