Drawings by Bill Logan From “Israel Berger and Associates”

Children’s Museum ”Papalote Verde Monterrey”

Papalote Museo del Niño

Relevant key figures

The project’s footprint area (new + existing buildings) in proportion to the site is 62%. However, considering that all the new construction will be underground and covered with green roofs, the site’s visible built area drops to only 38%, half of which corresponds to the existing buildings, the rest are building areas with no pedestrian access, such as patios and skylights.

Materials used

The project will include at least 5% of reused materials, 20% of recycled materials, and 20% of regional materials (extracted, processed and manufactured locally).

Project Description

The Children’s Museum ”Papalote Verde Monterrey” will be located in the Southwestern section of ”Parque Fundidora” in Monterrey, capital of Nuevo Leon. This technological park-museum, where the old Monterrey steel mill used to stand, the Fundidora de Fierro y Acero de Monterrey, S.A., was declared a protected zone by the state on 2001.

The National History and Anthropology Institute (”INAH” by its Spanish acronym) allowed ‘Parque Fundidora’ to donate the existing land and buildings for the construction of the Children’s Museum.

The project was conceived as a new cultural landmark for the city and will integrate the latest technologies regarding construction and sustainability. In this project the concept of a ”museum” is addressed from an entirely new perspective, as the building itself becomes part of the learning experience. The flowing geometry of the building along with its demonstrative green technologies teach users how to incorporate passive and active technologies into construction, finally allowing architecture and museography to merge.

A museum is usually conceived as series of rooms explaining different subjects and following a rigid sequence. In this case the core subject is present and dealt with throughout the entire museum and understood in different contexts thus enabling the visitor to build his own path.

The project explores two main strategies, one the restoration of existing buildings on site and two, the underground construction of a new building. The later allows for a third strategy to be incorporated, the landscape proposal; which allows the new construction to blend into the existing morphology of the site.

1. Reused Area: Integrated by two exiting industrial Structures of the old ‘Fundidora’ steel mill, is the area of the museum that holds most of the operating areas. Inside the Northern Structure, formerly known as the Gasoline Pavilion, the museum’s services, workshops and administrative departments are located. Within the Southern Structure, formerly known as the Carpentry Pavilion, the food area and party zone are located.

2. New Construction: Integrated by three large sections, IMAX, Exhibits Zone and Vertical Garden, is the space of the museum where most of the public areas are concentrated. The IMAX will be the first of its kind in the city of Monterrey; the exhibits zone with 2,877.00m2 of ludic spaces, is the main area of the Museum. Finally the Vertical Garden is where the tour culminates, and is considered the core landmark of the project.

3. Landscape Proposal: Integrated by two large zones, the Access Patio, and the Green Roofs and Gardens, being the areas covering the project and integrating it to the adjoining landscape. The access patio is the space located between the two existing structures and where the main access will be located. On the other hand, the green roofs have been conceived as the fifth facade of the project, and will help integrate the new construction to the park.

Landscape design is done by managing native vegetation to create three thematic areas: Hortus deserta, Hortus essentia and Foresta.

Native species were selected with the purpose of recognizing their biological value, as part of the identity of typical Monterrey landscapes. These species have adapted to the site’s natural and weather conditions and require low maintenance and irrigation, being ideal for urban reforestation.

Credits:

Inaki Echeverria

Carlos Luna

Alejandra Romo

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