Fernanda Ahumada and FREE were commissioned to design the National Biodiversity Pavilion at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), one of the most important universities in the North American country. The pavilion is located in the cultural corridor of the university city of the UNAM in Mexico City.

The project arises from the need to create a space that allows the archive of the Institute of Biology to grow and preserve, as well as to create thematic laboratories for the scientific study of the largest collection of dead species in Latin America.

Conceptually, the proposal proposes a circular plan, which organizes the spaces as a result of interpreting the tree of life through a radial scheme that represents the infinite possibilities of biodiversity and, in turn, the connection of all living beings with each other.
With this idea, Fernanda Ahumada and FREE project a pavilion of eleven thousand square meters, where the stairs are located in the center of the building representing the double helix of DNA, making the staircase the connector of all spaces in the building and from where they arise. all routes to the exhibition rooms, multimedia rooms, digital library, offices, archive, conservation area, and laboratories.

The project has three levels and each level is organized by three rings. The first ring is in the center, where vertical communication is located and is intended for the public program and permanent exhibitions, the next is the ring for private use intended for the conservation and archiving of the collections, and the third is located in the outer edge houses the laboratory spaces, and conservation offices.

Vertically, the building is also organized according to privacy gradients, the most public being the access on the ground floor, which according to the architects functions as a showcase open to external biodiversity. The basement of the building is built with foundation rock, the result of the explosion of the Xitle volcano, which gave its name to the Pedregal area and where the University City is located.

The two upper levels have a double facade of glass and multi-perforated aluminum that allow controlled views, whose opening or closing responds to the lighting and ventilation needs of the interior spaces. The façade is made up of thousands of 30x20 cm aluminum modules that move with the wind, depending on the surrounding weather conditions, alluding to the importance of evolution and biodiversity.

National Pavilion of Biodiversity by Fernanda Ahumada + FREE. Photograph by César Belio.
 

Project description by Fernanda Ahumada + FREE

The National Biodiversity Pavilion is a new space for UNAM, located in the cultural corridor of Ciudad Universitaria. The project was born in order to grow and preserve the archive of the Institute of Biology, as well as to create thematic laboratories for the scientific study of the largest collection of dead species in Latin America.

The project responds to different directives. Conceptually, the architectural party proposes a radial scheme that arises from the interpretation of the Tree of Life and the idea that each living being is connected. The stairs, located in the center of the building, represent the double helix of DNA, the molecule that contains the genetic information of all living beings and from which each of the species on the planet arises. Architecturally, the staircase located at the epicenter of the building is the element that connects the different spaces of the pavilion. The routes to the exhibition rooms, the archive, and the laboratories emanate from it, forming a radial plant that represents the infinite possibilities of biodiversity. In material terms, the glass façade with aluminum and the base made of local stone allows it to be directly linked to the site.


National Pavilion of Biodiversity by Fernanda Ahumada + FREE. Photograph by César Belio.

The pavilion, with more than eleven thousand square meters of construction, has exhibition halls and multimedia rooms, a digital library, offices, a sheltered area, and laboratories, all distributed on three levels with a radial arrangement.

In the plan, each level has three rings. The first ring is intended for the public program and starts from the center with vertical circulation and permanent exhibitions. The subsequent ring is for private use and protects the collections. The last ring protects the rest of the program and is located on the edge of the façade, corresponding to the spaces for specialized consultation, laboratories, and curatorship offices. This mix of areas on each floor allows for an interaction between the temporary and permanent users of the building. The circular plan was used to achieve two main objectives, on the one hand, to unite all the spaces through a single vertical core, and on the other, to create 360-degree panoramic views of the natural landscape through its façade that opens and closes. in waveform according to the specific needs of the program.


National Pavilion of Biodiversity by Fernanda Ahumada + FREE. Photograph by César Belio.

One of the great challenges was the distribution of the archives of the four collections of the institute —mammals, reptiles, fish, and birds— due to the large number of square meters that had to be allocated. Each collection was strategically located to meet climate, shelter, and future growth needs. For its correct operation, there are high-density compactors for storage, these are planted on metal rails that move to store the largest number of species in the least possible space. In addition, we propose an orthogonal structure within the circular plan with the intention of optimizing the shelter areas and allowing future growth.

You access the building from a stepped esplanade that seeks the stay of visitors and connects with the cultural corridor; The largest exhibition area and three of the four collections together with laboratories are located on this floor. Level one is characterized by being the most closed according to the technical requirements; one of the collections, the molecular biology laboratory, the auditorium, and the administrative offices are located here. Ultimately, the lower level responds to the unevenness of the land, it contains the spaces of greatest public use, such as the store, the cafeteria, and the digital library; By locating these areas here, the direct view of the quarry is taken advantage of, while at the same time generating a calm and introspective atmosphere. In addition, the privileged location of the site, immersed in the university cultural corridor, added spaces for dissemination of the program, with the aim of awakening the interest of visitors in scientific careers.


National Pavilion of Biodiversity by Fernanda Ahumada + FREE. Photograph by César Belio.

As for its facades, the lower level functions as a showcase for endemic biodiversity by directly integrating views into the natural space that surrounds the building. The two upper levels have a double façade made of glass and multi-perforated aluminum that allows for controlled views and unfolding response to the lighting and ventilation needs of the interior spaces. The result is a façade made up of thousands of 30x20 cm aluminum modules that move along with the wind, a movement that is generated as a result of the climatic conditions of the site and that alludes to its importance in the evolution and permanence of the biodiversity, which causes a living façade. The basement of the building is built from the quarry, a volcanic stone that is the most characteristic element of local biodiversity, the result of the Xitle explosion that gave the Pedregal area its name and where the University City is located. It should be noted that for the construction of these walls, the same stone that was removed for the foundation was used.

The project is summarized as a fusion between public and private spaces, where the temporary user can live with what is exposed, but also with the site, thus awakening the concern of all that is behind the study and conservation of species.

More information

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Architects
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Fernanda Ahumada + FREE.
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Project team
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Karen García Villegas, Christiane Salem, Francisco Román, Alejandro Marin.
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Collaborators
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Executive project development.- Reactiva Arquitectura — Laura Dominguez + Ana Paula Herrera.
Lighting project development.- ILWT.
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Area
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Built.- 11,780 m.²
Land:.- 17,117 m².
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Dates
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Completion year.- 2022.
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Location
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UNAM, University City, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Manufacturers
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Aluminum and facades.- IASA.
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Photography
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Fernando Romero EnterprisE. FR-EE a global architecture and industrial design firm founded by Fernando Romero with offices in New York, Mexico City, Madrid and Shenzhen. FR-EE's commitment is focused on translating historical, social, economic, and environmental contexts into contemporary urban destinations, earning critical attention, and attracting millions of visitors while generating a positive impact on cities and communities. In the last 20 years, FR-EE has executed and proposed projects in a large number of countries with different programs and contexts, from museums and office buildings in dense urban centers to the monumental New International Airport in Mexico City.

Fernando Romero, Honorable FAIA * is recognized as one of the leading architects of his generation. He was named a Global Leader of Tomorrow at the 2002 World Economic Forum, one of the 50 Most Influential Designers by Fast Company in 2012, and became an Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2013. Among his awards are the Bauhaus Award and the Red Dot Award 'Best of the Best'.
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Fernanda Ahumada de Toledo is an architect from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (2014) with honorable mention and winner of the Abraham Zabludovsky Award for architectural composition in 2014 for her work “Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl High-Performance Sports Center.”
 
With a twelve-year career in large-scale commercial and housing projects for Grupo Carso, Fernanda seeks to capture in her architecture a reinterpretation of the public-private relationship of a building and its integration into the urban space, applied to commercial, cultural, and mixed uses projects.
 
She participated in the reconstruction program of the Carlos Slim Foundation, with the preparation and coordination of education, housing, and health projects for those affected by the earthquakes in 2017, concluding her participation in the program with the reopening of the GEA González Hospital tower in 2022.
 
Committed to cultural and scientific dissemination, she participated in the conceptualization and project of the National Biodiversity Pavilion for the UNAM Institute of Biology between 2020 and 2022.
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Published on: June 12, 2023
Cite: "New way to discover the species. National Pavilion of Biodiversity by Fernanda Ahumada + FREE" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/new-way-discover-species-national-pavilion-biodiversity-fernanda-ahumada-free> ISSN 1139-6415
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