The High Line in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District proved that revitalized admission-free public space not only engages both citizens and visitors, but also, from the slew of developments surrounding it, generate income for the city.
Elevated parks are now making its way around the world’s largest metropolises. Chicago recently completed its Bloomingdale Trail, and Seoul has commissioned MVRDV to convert one of their underused highways into a park. Jumping on the bandwagon is Mexico City, and plans to create a “Cultural Corridor” on Avenida Chapultepec has circulated online.
According to Architizer, local practice FR-EE Fernando Romero Enterprise has been tapped to undertake a project dubbed “considerably more complex in many ways” if compared to the High Line.
CORREDOR CULTURAL CHAPULTEPEC BY FR-EE / FRENTE / RVDG from FR-EE Fernando Romero Enterprise on Vimeo.
The city’s ancient viaduct, built by the Aztecs, were an inspiration to the park’s design. Ruins of the viaduct will form a key feature of the park.
Mexico City’s scheme will be composed of “interwoven ribbons of walkable infrastructure, with many sections rising, falling, and splitting in response to the adjacent buildings, roadways, and the metro line beneath,” Architizer reports.
Portions of the pathway will accommodate al fresco cafes, and offer up space for street entertainers and artists.
Related Stories
| Nov 19, 2013
Top 10 green building products for 2014
Assa Abloy's power-over-ethernet access-control locks and Schüco's retrofit façade system are among the products to make BuildingGreen Inc.'s annual Top-10 Green Building Products list.
| Nov 15, 2013
Greenbuild 2013 Report - BD+C Exclusive
The BD+C editorial team brings you this special report on the latest green building trends across nine key market sectors.
| Nov 13, 2013
Installed capacity of geothermal heat pumps to grow by 150% by 2020, says study
The worldwide installed capacity of GHP systems will reach 127.4 gigawatts-thermal over the next seven years, growth of nearly 150%, according to a recent report from Navigant Research.
| Nov 13, 2013
First look: Renzo Piano's addition to Louis Kahn's Kimbell Art Museum [slideshow]
The $135 million, 101,130-sf colonnaded pavilion by the famed architect opens later this month.
| Oct 30, 2013
15 stellar historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovation projects
The winners of the 2013 Reconstruction Awards showcase the best work of distinguished Building Teams, encompassing historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and renovations and additions.
| Oct 30, 2013
Steven Holl selected for Culture and Art Center in Qingdao, besting Zaha Hadid, OMA
Steven Holl Architects has been selected by near unanimous jury decision as the winner of the new Culture and Art Center of Qingdao City competition, besting OMA and Zaha Hadid Architects. The 2 million-sf project for four museums is the heart of the new extension of Qingdao, China, planned for a population of 700,000.
| Oct 30, 2013
11 hot BIM/VDC topics for 2013
If you like to geek out on building information modeling and virtual design and construction, you should enjoy this overview of the top BIM/VDC topics.
| Oct 29, 2013
BIG opens subterranean Danish National Maritime Museum [slideshow]
BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) has completed the Danish National Maritime Museum in Helsingør. By marrying the crucial historic elements with an innovative concept of galleries and way-finding, BIG’s renovation scheme reflects Denmark's historical and contemporary role as one of the world's leading maritime nations.
| Oct 28, 2013
Urban growth doesn’t have to destroy nature—it can work with it
Our collective desire to live in cities has never been stronger. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the world’s population will live in a city by 2030. As urban populations swell, what people demand from their cities is evolving.
| Oct 23, 2013
Gehry, Foster join Battersea Power Station redevelopment
Norman Foster and Frank Gehry have been selected to design a retail section within the £8 billion redevelopment of Battersea Power Station in London.