'This investigation does not aim to solve the problem of the sinking of El Zocalo, but rather accepts it as inevitable and seeks to identify strategies involving possible future architectural scenarios.'
The theme focuses on the sinking of Mexico City and more specifically its historical center, El Zocalo. In 2006 the area was introduced into the UNESCO World Monuments Fund Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered sites. In parallel to the various threats identified, the complexity behind the history of the site allowed for a discourse on the urban layering of the city and how the inevitability of its sinking can be approached. The Zocalo represents the center of the city and the country; it is at the heart of daily demonstrations and yearly events. The question which then arose is how will it transform/shape itself to meet its future. My project has a heavy research component which focuses on understanding the origins of El Zocalo and the threats it faces today. By exploring its daily/yearly use, I was able to identify 4 crucial events which lead the narrative for a possible future architectural intervention on the site.
The theme focuses on the sinking of Mexico City and more specifically its historical center, El Zocalo. In 2006 the area was introduced into the UNESCO World Monuments Fund Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered sites. In parallel to the various threats identified, the complexity behind the history of the site allowed for a discourse on the urban layering of the city and how the inevitability of its sinking can be approached. The Zocalo represents the center of the city and the country; it is at the heart of daily demonstrations and yearly events. The question which then arose is how will it transform/shape itself to meet its future. My project has a heavy research component which focuses on understanding the origins of El Zocalo and the threats it faces today. By exploring its daily/yearly use, I was able to identify 4 crucial events which lead the narrative for a possible future architectural intervention on the site.
