Text description provided by the architects. What we found on the site was a publicly fractured urban and social space, with a very rich program established by the PMU led by SEDATU, which began the unification and integration. Among the pre-existing elements related to the cultural character of the site, there was a public market completely affected by the earthquake of 2017, a church of high heritage value with a strong sense of belonging and beauty that has recently been restored, both prominently featuring brick and clay in ochre tones.
An integral layout of the entire block was projected in such a way that through its gestures and intentions; represented with enclosures, pavements, landscaping, plazas, retaining walls, pergolas among other elements, the mentioned program will be unified. We started with the restoration of the market, a project that preserves its origins and forges its legacy with clay tile roofs, wooden beams, and pitched roofs.
Taking this construction as a starting point, a pattern emerges to continue the sloped roofs in the sports court and multi-purpose covered plaza that propose a human and urban scale for the municipality and for pedestrians. An open plaza continues that, through a circular esplanade, crosses the roadway, dialogues, and connects with the church, generating a personal link and reducing the importance of the roadway.
It concludes with the last section, which is the preschool, which maintains the pattern of the same orthogonal structure and its exposed framework. It is a single-story building whose rooftop is utilized, framing the impressive view of the mountains. It was built with concrete and apparent ochre-colored prefabricated elements, bricks, and clay tiles in the same tones. Cleanliness, order, scale, and respect for its context predominate.
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Project location
Address:Santa María Petapa, Mexico
Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
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Cite: “Petapa Market Renovation / Taller MRD + DF Arquitectos” [Renovación del mercado Petapa / Taller MRD + DF Arquitectos] 20 Jan 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed .
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