Ten Arquitectos: Cinco de Mayo Memorial

An undulating park structure shelters an amphitheatre, playground and gallery, evoking the original topography of an important site in Mexican history.

Ten Arquitectos has designed a mixed-use urban site for the City of Puebla, Mexico to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Cinco de Mayo which took place in the region. Puebla is a place with rich culture and traditions where every corner is standing proof of this history; one can find a kaleidoscope of buildings, textures and sounds that are all interwoven and create the Poblana culture. Within this mosaic, is a complex of spaces destined for culture, education and recreation on the northeast side of the Zócalo, a site which will host the memorial. While the competition called for an emblematic monument, often regarded as a sculptural object, Ten Arquitectos' proposal creates a new project: an undulating spatial fabric made of the social and architectural current conditions.

The project activates and foments the use of the site by creating new open public spaces and reinforcing the city views and existing landscape. The memorial promotes social interaction through the use of programmatic intersections generated by the space's design. These gaps contain the program of the memorial: an amphitheatre, a playground, shaded open spaces and a mixed-use gallery underneath the amphitheatre.
Ten Arquitectos, <em>Memorial for the Battle of Cinco de Mayo</em>, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Pablo Crespo
Ten Arquitectos, Memorial for the Battle of Cinco de Mayo, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Pablo Crespo
Resembling the original topography, the overlapping wooden layer offers an undulating park structure. The plaza symbolizes and pays homage to one of the most important historical moments in Mexican history. One hundred and fifty trees were placed throughout the square, representing the years since the Battle of Cinco de Mayo. Vegetation was placed strategically, to correspond with user's needs for shading. The light poles reflect the number of battalions that fought, while its location points to the sites where the most important battles occurred.
Ten Arquitectos, <em>Memorial for the Battle of Cinco de Mayo</em>, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Pablo Crespo
Ten Arquitectos, Memorial for the Battle of Cinco de Mayo, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Pablo Crespo
Ten Arquitectos: Memorial of the Cinco de Mayo Battle
Client: City of Puebla, Puebla, México
Architect: TEN Arquitectos/Enrique Norten
Programme: Urban space design with amphitheatre, mixed-use gallery, playground and service area
Project Team: Enrique Norten, Salvador Arroyo, Humberto Arreola, David Valencia, Ernesto Vázquez, Alejandra Téllez, Elsa Ponce, Emelio Barjau, Miguel Rios, Erik Rico, Lenin Cruz, Liz Rebollo, Daniel Rios
Site area: 10,400 square metres
Floorspace: 11,580 square metres
Construction: Gobierno del Estado de Puebla
Subcontractor: INNDECO
Ten Arquitectos, <em>Memorial for the Battle of Cinco de Mayo</em>, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Pablo Crespo
Ten Arquitectos, Memorial for the Battle of Cinco de Mayo, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Pablo Crespo
Ten Arquitectos, <em>Memorial for the Battle of Cinco de Mayo</em>, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Patrick Lopez
Ten Arquitectos, Memorial for the Battle of Cinco de Mayo, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Patrick Lopez
Ten Arquitectos, <em>Memorial for the Battle of Cinco de Mayo</em>, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Patrick Lopez
Ten Arquitectos, Memorial for the Battle of Cinco de Mayo, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Patrick Lopez
Ten Arquitectos, <em>Memorial for the Battle of Cinco de Mayo</em>, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Patrick Lopez
Ten Arquitectos, Memorial for the Battle of Cinco de Mayo, Puebla, Mexico. Photo by Patrick Lopez

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