The Water Pavilion—intended as the recovery
of the Piedad River, which is now piped and
forms part of the Miguel Alemán Viaduct —is a
space won by the citizens, which demonstrated
that Mexico City’s piped rivers can be reintegrated
into the urban water cycle.
With this in mind, the project set out to use
water as a constructive and conceptual material,
generating an educational space with the
intention of articulating conversations, workshops
and cultural exhibitions.
ZA playful space gave meaning to the overall
project and, at the same time, served to
acknowledge the condition of the Piedad
River. Thus, this pavilion employs water as a
transforming element; it highlights the natural
reaction of oxidation with steel which,
added to the time factor, recast the pavilion
as a collective experience in observing how it
transforms in colors and textures depending
on the season.
Part of the architectural program was grounded
in a central block that houses a classroom for
workshops, as well as the restroom and storage
area. It virtually defined the spaces within, as
well as the contour-void relationship and the
interior and exterior borders. The volume was
formed from the boundary of the property that
emerges from a point to generate accessibility
through the exhibition area.
Water Pavillion is a proposal that was defined by
a river’s natural course. As a recovered space,
it was transformed into a public sphere to be
inhabited by the citizens, where it promotes responsible
consumption through education and
generates a culture of water, seeking equity and
justice through access.