MMX's proposal comprises four buildings and extensive public spaces. The intervention revitalises an abandoned site and pays tribute to the cultural heritage of Indigenous communities through a participatory approach to the project that places particular emphasis on the work of local artisans.
Brick was chosen as the main building material, alongside locally sourced materials and traditional, low-maintenance construction techniques. The versatility of brick allows a seemingly complex structure to be resolved through simple construction methods. The interiors create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for a programme of workshops, exhibitions and artistic activities.
City of Indigenous Arts by MMX. Photograph by César Béjar.
Project description by MMX
In the heart of Tepic (capital city of the State of Nayarit), where the Mololoa River and one of the city’s main roads converge, stands the “City for Indigenous Arts” (CAI for its acronym in Spanish). The complex materialises the multicultural identity of the region through architecture, landscape, mobility, and urban interventions.
Composed by 4 buildings, open spaces, and the intervention for the Mololoa River, the CAI gives place to gatherings, commerce, exhibition, and teaching of handicraft production techniques, while generates open areas for resting and leisure with new paving, lighting, urban furniture and extensive complementary vegetation.
More than a mere group of buildings, the CAI is an integral city project. At different scales, it contributes to urban life, inclusivity, and to preserve, share and value the work and expressions of the territory’s original dwellers and people. The complex aims to be a place where cultures of the region can be appreciated and shared, while recovering a city space that used to be neglected and fragmented.
To intervene in the site and restructure the public space, we resorted to the inspiring geometric understanding of patterns and traces of the original communities. The reinterpretation of these motifs and geometries allowed us to define the forms and spaces that would put the artisans and their work at the center.
Brick allowed us to connect geometrically with these motifs, as well as materially with the region. As a unit, brick let us face the design and construction of what seemed to be an intricate system, but is in fact the informed repetition of a simple action.
The project for the City of the Indigenous Arts takes brick to an urban scale, structuring a public space from the basic unit out. The craftsmanship of the building echoes the activities that take place inside and around the complex.
The versatility of the brick allows for the creation of warm, welcoming, and dignified atmospheres for workshops, exhibitions, and artistic activities, while on the exterior, its durability enables extensive use and low maintenance. The earthly origin and qualities of the material, its energetic performance, the multiple possibilities for arrangement, and the efficiency of the brick for structural work are some of the reasons why we chose to work with it and what drives the complex’s unique geometry, composition and expression.
The brickwork for the City of Indigenous Arts is a testament and tribute to craftsmanship that transforms what used to be a detached site from the urban grid into a community gathering place.
