GDU est. 1977

Mario Schjetnan City http://gdu.com.mx [email protected]

Xochimilco Ecological Park - Tecnoparque- Mexico City Rehabilitation of Chapultepec Park- Mexico City

dms - 19° 18’ 23.94” N / 99° 06’ 00.46” W dms - 19° 30’ 11.19” N / 99° 10’ 46.63” W dms - 19° 25’ 16.51” N / 99° 11’ 09.42” W elevation - 0 m / 0ft elevation - 0 m / 0 ft elevation - 0 m / 0 ft ECOLOGICAL

PARK Location: Mexico City Surface: 4.67 Ha Project Year: 1993

Xochimilco is a great example of an environmental restoration intervention that has space for recreation while at the same time accommodating productive land in one of the most urban cities of the world. Xochimilco, in “the place where flowers are grown”, is the remaining pre-Spanish Conquest landscape. Xochimilco is famous for its floating artificial garden islands known as “Chinampas”. Situated in which once was the large lake in the valle de Mexico, once upon a time it was a place where agricultural activities took place. In 1987 was declared UNESCO World Heritage site, which caught the world’s attention. This prompted a restoration project by Mexico City and the borough of Xochimilco. “Xochimilco Ecological park in Mexico City and the larger landscape of which it is a part are a powerful demostration of the ambition and complexity of contemporary landscape architecture.”

Being a large scale operation, the water. The islands were the biggest flower market in the project presented multiple returned to its agricultural Mexico City adjacent to the complexities. To illustrate, origin by being recreated with park. many of the islands were meshes of logs filled with sinking and an increase on dredge and stabilized by salix The design and construction storm water runoff was causing trees (original sp used in the of Xochimilco park was a additional flooding. To add original islands). long process that started in to this, a lot of the surface 1980’s and ended in 1993. It water was being contaminated Xochimilco park is organized required a multidisciplinary and with that a lot of invasive into three different functional collaboration among designers, plants that were growing along zones: the ecological park and historians, biologists, engineers the edges. lake, a sports park, and the and community groups. plan and flower market. Water Schjetnan and his team is the basic element for the implemented several hydraulic design. The local economic strategies in order to cleanse activity is also boosted by

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Xochimilco park is organized into three different functional zones: the ecological park and lake, a sports park, and the plan and flower market.

Tecnoparque Mexico City Surface: 81,4 Ha Project Year: 2004-2011

Tecnoparque is a corporate campus which used to be part of a former industrial landscape. The design encompases common spaces, water bodies, gardens, parking, building access, cafeteria and a pergola. The project makes a special emphasis on a system that reuses rainwater through its reintegration into the aquifer and treats the wastewater for irrigation. “Tecnoparque constituted a deep alteration to this urban area and brought viability to the city through a process of what today is know as postindustrial urbanism” Martignoni During the 1990’s there was a The project captures rainwater program that relocated of the and sends it along rotating cis- industries complexes outside terns system. The project reus- of Mexico City. Tecnoparque is es rainwater through. It treats located where there was a steel the sewage that is generated by plant used to be, and it is part the complex and after is used of a high-tech corporate centre for irrigation purposes. in the North West of Mexico City. Visual, spatial relationship and functionality between the Again here, water is a main gardens is a dynamic one. The feature of Schjetnan’s design. general space flows as a single A landscape that once used area with the aim of providing to be industrial is remediated a pleasant work environment and converted into a High- with high life quality. Tech Office campus. Some areas are open to the public.

The rehabilitation of Chapultepec Location: Mexico City Surface: 150.000 sqm Project Year: 2013 International public competition

The rehabilitation of Chapultepec Park is an integrated project. It renovates and restores one of the oldest parks of the Americas,and the largest urban park in Mexico. The project started out of an initiative of the Citizen guiding Council of Chapultepec Parks and Forest and Pro- Chapultepec Park trust fund. After so many years the area started to have a lack of proper management and to present issues such as contamination of water and over compacted soil. Master plan Reflective pool Botanical Garden

Master comprehensive This side has a water body Botanical Gardens Mexico City environmental, hydraulic, that manages the connection (JBCM) is an exhibition center historical and landscape between two of the most live plants, where it is planned rehabilitation plan was important museums in Mexico to conserve endangered plant projected; in addition City: National Museum of species, spread a botanical and to specific projects and Anthropology and History ecological culture among the reordering vendors. It includes and the Tamayo Museum. population of Mexico City and the First and Second Section. The project is part of Integral its visitors, as well as showing Part of the infrastructural Rehabilitation Plan Bosque de the country’s biodiversity. changes covers a new irrigation Chapultepec 2003-2007. This is in the first section of system, including a water Chapultepec Park. supply plant for the lakes. New paths and lighting were incorporated. “The project identified 15 environmental zones, in each, the three necessary courses of action where needed: infrastructure, removal or pruning of trees, and the reorganization of mobile vendors” Martihnoni

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