Mexico City proper covers an area of 573 square miles (or 1,485 square kilometers) consisting of sixteen boroughs. The neighborhoods historically have had their own central public open space. In the last decade public-focused mixed-use centers are re-defining the way in which public space is being utilized within the neighborhoods they catalyze. The mixed-use project site, Oceania, is an approximately 1 million square feet of mixed-use retail, commercial, office and entertainment development that will be located on the northeastern edge of Mexico City, in proximity to the Benito Juarez International Airport. The airport, which is set to close in 2020 upon the opening of the new airport 3 miles away, will present an opportunity for Oceania to fill a deficit of open space for the adjacent existing neighborhoods and community, attract visitors of all scales, as well as to catalyze an entire sub-region for future redevelopment.
The landscape design team visited precedent projects and material source markets in Mexico City prior to schematic design. Social and cultural trends were noted in the use of public mixed-use space. Successes and failures were closely examined in materiality, execution and planting design. It was imperative to the design team to visit local plant and material sources to confirm availability and success prior to designing details for Oceania. The site visit was invaluable and further re-iterated the significance of the landscape architect on the project to the architect and client team.
Prior to beginning schematic and design development, the landscape design team produced an extensive series of site analysis diagrams and studies with a focus on studying solar exposure throughout the day during all seasons of the year. Early in the process, the design team requested to communicate their research to the architectural design team, the client and construction manager for the project to engage them in the process and to convey the value of the information to be utilized throughout the process. This was atypical for the architecture team, however proved extremely valuable and was commended by the group.
The landscape design team compiled a 60-page book communicating the planting scheme strategy for vertical and horizontal planting. This book was instrumental in communication to the architect design team and client team in the process and was created to also act as a valuable resource in pre-construction, construction and post-occupancy maintenance. Over 120 species of plants were categorized by solar exposure, water use and seasonal showcase potential throughout the year. The strategy was part of the landscape team’s design process and their communication of the material yielded in advancing the education of the role of landscape architects play in the early stages of the design process when collaborating with others.
Aside from solar exposure and water use/tolerance, the team analyzed various times of the year that blooming may occur to create a landscape that could become as dynamic and ever-changing as the fashion trends, food, people, festivals change with the seasons that contribute to the temporal quality of the ‘event’ of retail and mixed-use environments that attract visitors to experience a feeling of place.
The design of the open space responds to the programmatic needs of the architectural and adjacent context while providing flexibility, durability, attraction and connectivity from it’s edges and entry points through a public retail promenade and into a retail loop. There are five distinct areas that complied the scope of landscape architectural design: The Main Entry, The North Corner Plaza, The South Entry, Camino Central, Playground and Vertical Green Walls.
The Main Entry located at the north east corner of the site is designed to address the scale and connectivity of the adjacent highway, train station and the architecture of the retail center. This is a high-traffic environment, so the design is intended to be pleasing from a variety of vantage points, enticing visitors and inviting them in. The landscape design consists of sweeping movements centered along a vehicular drop-off that gestures movement toward the center open space, a retail boulevard. At the pedestrian level, the planting design highlights combinations of texture and color to showcase a regional landscape.
A central water feature is designed to have minimal impediment on retail visibility, yet also scaled appropriately for the space so that it is visible from multiple vantage points such as the elevated train station, highway, pedestrian realm and inside of the buildings in Oceania, all providing a unique experience. The twisting steel frame allows for a water effect to be altered at designated times of the day minutes ahead of the arriving trains. The temporal urban experience will become a memorable icon of the Oceania arrival space at the North Entry.
The landscape design responds directly to the plant palette and solar exposure studies and begins to create a native and more arid showcase of the regional colors and textures on the urban edges of the site beginning in a more dispersed cluster and taking on a more formalized pattern at the center focal point to reiterate the swirling energy and motion of the site and architecture pulling visitors into the more lush shady areas of the retail boulevard and open-air interior retail loop.
The North Corner plaza design addresses urban context and connectivity. The goal of the design is to create a landscape buffer between the development edge and the corner that responds to the dynamic motion of the architecture and vertical green wall design along the curving façade without impeding the department store entries visually from several vantage points. The building is convex to the corner so the planters are design to ‘scoop’ people in easily without thought while having them pass through a garden that showcases native and adaptive planting of the region. The planting is design for best management practices where water can be conserved yet still ensuring a colorful, successful and tolerant result. Visually, the planters are sloping gently up to berms, which is designed to contribute to the dynamism, but addresses a challenge of soil depth due to the plaza’s location on-structure. The planters are made of steel and incorporate seating to streamline activity in focus areas and provide comfort.
The landscape designers created 4 distinct plant palettes that correspond to the different solar exposure along the face of the curving facades of the architecture, based on prior experience and research in Mexico City. They designed 10 combinations of mock-ups that will be constructed on-site soon to monitor facing different directions as construction is anticipated to be on-going through 2018. The team’s ability to think ahead in construction during all phases of the design process led to an efficient and appreciated approach and deliverable to the client group.
Color combinations and seasonal blooms (which can be throughout the year for many species in the region) were added as a layer onto the fluid form of the landscape and site design to aim to become on of Mexico City’s well-cherished landscape and open spaces.
The landscape team proved the value of utilizing a larger area on-structure near the South Entry to create a unique experience reminiscent of vibrant areas seen in Chapultepec Park. The landscape addresses functions such as providing a buffer to the garage and ramp area, while also considering the experience so that the café’s and restaurants can capitalize on the view.
The Camino Central is a vehicular street lined with first level retail, restaurants and commercial development. The design team originally created a plan that was to be ‘pedestrian-only’ open space, however due to the client direction from the local government the street had to remain open for vehicular access. The design team created an approach that minimized drainage costs, maximized flexibility and focused on durability in hardscape and planting so that the space could be utilized for local parades, festivals and events when permitted.
The Camino Central design aims to capture the essence of Mexico City’s culture and colorful natural landscape. Oceania will become a space for the local community now and future to cherish. Furthermore, the design aims to maintain recognition and repeat visitor’s as a nation-wide and international luxury development that can evolve as markets grow in the region.