[IN]FORMAL SPACE

Bolstering Pedestrian Access, Cultural Identity, and Vendor Empowerment

​

Critic: Michel Rojkind (2014)| Mexico City Mexico

Selected for Publication in Pressing Matters IV

​

Inspired by Mexico City’s vivacious streets and informal retail vendors, this project aims to mediate between the formal built environment and the public spaces that are largely occupied by the informal sector. Hyper-designed buildings that house a mix of institutional and cultural programs such as galleries, restaurants, and educational facilities, are intertwined with a web of pathways and open spaces, blurring the boundary between inside and outside.

These hybrid areas, which occur through the layering and nesting of circulations, provide the most important asset to informal vendors: open space. The intersection of these blurred spaces with major circulation routes ensures a rich mixture of pedestrians and vendors, enriching the cultural identity and liveliness of Parque Delta.

​

​