Xochimilco
Mexico City, Mexico
The Hargreaves Associates design uses the history of the site to create stirring places and compelling cultural narratives. We envisioned the landscape as both natural and social space embodying the potential of design to enhance cultural and biophysical phenomena. The design reveals the capacity of landscape architecture to address the challenges of degraded landscapes and to an iconic power in their revelation of the problems and the possibilities of the contemporary sustainable landscape. The plaza will be the main civic gathering space in the park, providing formal entry into the park and welcoming visitors to the different park venues. The Aquatic Park will be a regional recreation and family destination where friends can spend the day swimming, playing, relaxing, sunbathing and picnicking within a park setting. The Amphitheater will be a regional performance venue built within the Jardines del Valle (Gardens of the Valley) providing elevated views of the lake and Aquarium beyond. Visitors will experience, learn about and celebrate the flora of the Valley of Mexico. As you move through them, the visitor will experience the different plant communities in relation to each other and as part of a journey. People who come to the park will sit in the grassland as opposed to just look and learn at the grassland. Formal and informal sports fields will be relocated next to the enhanced Cienaga Grande and engages the adjacent neighborhoods.