Taller Capital practises “retroactive infrastructure” for linear park in Mexico

Architecture studio Taller Capital has created a linear park in Mexico City that incorporates a walkway and made with materials optimised for water retention and dust mitigation.

Called Héroes de Tecamac Boulevard, the project was located in an urban area north of Mexico City.

The project saw the renovation of 2.1 kilometres of a vacant median that runs through the city, passing through a social housing complex.

Twenty metres wide, the structure allows for easy pedestrian use and features recreation areas strewn about its length for use by the local community, and the studio estimates it will serve more than 20,000 individuals who live alongside it.

According to Taller Capital, the boulevard was constructed in the early 2000s to facilitate the growing population, and though the median was dug it was never completed. The excavated materials from the roadway sat there, creating small dust storms.

“It works as a retroactive infrastructure: it is a device to control dust storms, absorb rainwater, facilitate non-motorized mobility to connect with the Mexibus stop, and bring ports and recreational facilities to the nearby community,” said the studio.

Taller Capital was commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Territory and Urban Development to create the recreational spaces, but the studio recognised that the project provided an opportunity to improve the infrastructure of the area, which has very few pedestrian corridors.

“We were commissioned to design public recreational and sports facilities along the median strip,” the studio told Dezeen.

“However, we realized that it could not become only that, but it should mainly work as an infrastructure, both in terms of pedestrian mobility and dust control,” it continued.

“We were able to redesign traffic lanes at the ground level, broadening sidewalks, designating specific areas for parking and allowing two car lanes at each side of the strip.”

To ensure the safety of the pedestrians, the structure was elevated, a move which also allowed for the soil conditions necessary to plant a series of trees for shade.

The studio included volcanic gravel along the elevation to allow for water absorption and to control dust. It also noted that the gravels consistency means that very little maintenance will be required during the lifecycle of the boulevard.

The route also connects the community with a transportation hub at its north end.

Opened in 2021, the park has already enjoyed use and areas have seen a number of fairs and concerts that go beyond its original program.

“If the place continues serving the purpose it has demonstrated to satisfy up till today, we can imagine that in the future it will become more lively and used, as the trees will have grown and shade will be provided during direct daylight hours,” said Taller Capital.

Héroes de Tecamac Boulevard has been shortlisted for the mixed-use project category in the 2023 Dezeen Awards.

Other projects that revamp infrastructure for pedestrian use include New York’s High Line, a former elevated train line that has been converted to pedestrian walkways and community space.

The photography is by Rafael Gamo.