Mario Cardenas - Architecture Portfolio

SITE ANALYSIS
CONCEPT
Located north of Pesqueria river in the extension of the main square, the new Escobedo’s
City Hall becomes a center of community gathering welcoming all types of
activities with the goal of being an anchor of social interaction.
With the objective to re-define a government building, the project seeks to incorporate
many practices that will increase its use and lifespan.
Being located in a main square surrounded by green areas, a river and cultural projects
the city hall opens itself up to be part of the experience of the pedestrian by giving
away its first level and leaving opening on its four sides to be crossed in any direction.
01
SITE ORIGINAL CONDITION.
SAN NICOLAS DE BARI CHURCH CITY HALL PESQUERIA RIVER
05
THE FIRST LEVEL OPENS UP TO GENERATE AN OPEN FLOOR AND ALLOW PEDESTRIAN TRANSIT
ACROSS THE BUILDING ON ANY DIRECTION.
SAN NICOLAS DE BARI CHURCH
02
PROPOSAL OF NEW URBAN LAYOUT AND INTERVENTION IN MAIN SQUARE TO IMPROVE
CONNECTIVITY WITH THE RIVER.
06
TO CREATE AN INTERNAL SPACE THAT WOULD SERVE AS HEART AND INNER COURTYARD,
A HOLE IS CUT OFF FROM THE VOLUME, THIS WILL ALSO CREATE A FEELING OF OPENNESS
TOWARDS THE SQUARE.
NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE TO CONNECT THE NEW AND OLD SQUARE
EXTENTION OF MAIN SQUARE
INNER COURTYARD
The project is made up by four blocks carefully seated on top of a platform (that seeks
to subtly separate the project from its immediate context without blocking the entrances
so that once “inside” you can feel when you are in the city hall or in the public square),
and auditorium that crowns the project on its north side, a monumental portico and a
cover that lets light to permeate in multiple ways and a central vacuum that allows all
faces of the project to interact from within.
Concepts such as openness, permeability, flexibility and accessibility where key during
the design process. The project seeks to emphasize the importance of the river, main
square and linear park by acknowledging their presence and functioning according to
them.
The program consist of a multi-purpose ground floor, offices for rent, and auditorium,
areas for government procedures and administration department, and an archive.
03
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VOLUME SITING PRIORITIZING CONNECTIVITY WITH THE LINEAR PARK AND RIVER.
CITY HALL VOLUME
LINEAR PARK
A PLATFORM IS USED TO EMPHASIZE THE HIERARCHY OF THE PROJECT.
CITY HALL VOLUME
LINEAR PARK
07
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VOLUME IS DIVIDED BASED ON ITS USE -PRIVATE, SEMI PUBLIC AND PUBLIC- TO IMPROVE
ITS OPERATION.
PRIVATE
SEMI PUBLIC
PUBLIC
TO CREATE A VISUAL FINISH THE AUDITORIUM IS LOCATED ON THE LINEAR PARK SIDE TO SERVE
AS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR WITH ITS TRANSPARENCY.
AUDITORIUM