Border City Mexico USA, Binational City Vision, London Design Biennale, Architecture Images
Border City Mexico / USA: London Design Biennale 2016
Mexican American Frontier Development design by FR-EE Fernando Romero Enterprise
11 Sep 2016
Design: FR-EE Fernando Romero Enterprise
Location: border between United States and Mexico
Border City Mexico / USA: London Design Biennale
BORDER CITY
Border City Mexico / USA: London Design Biennale News
Fernando Romero’s Border City presents a new vision for a binational city on one of the world’s most important borders, that of the United States and Mexico, whose border states are now home to over 100 million people.
The proposal comes at a particularly opportune moment when the issues of immigration, border control, and free trade are being debated around the world, often in provocative and incendiary terms and frequently without the basis of facts.
Border City is the first integrated masterplan, including an international zone at the center of this plan which employs tools of enterprise, such as special economic zones. The city expands radially to connect three communities – Santa Teresa, New Mexico, San Jose, and San Jerónimo, Chihuahua:
The concept is rooted in the long history of places where frontiers meet, cities where cultures both clash and blend to create something altogether unique, places like Hong Kong, Andorra, Baarle Hertog/Baarle Nassau, and Standstead/ Derby Line. Border City is the first integrated masterplan for a binational city conducive to both sides of the border, employing tools of enterprise such as special economic zones to argue for its viability.
A main international axis is the spine for urban development. While an industrial axis connects to the inland port of Santa Teresa:
To give physical form to the concept, we’ve situated it between three bordering states of New Mexico, Texas and Chihuahua. The completion of the new inland port of Santa Teresa, the I-10 highway connecting east and west coasts, and the 7 existing border crossings in the area, represents an extraordinary opportunity for logistics and transportation of products in the area.
Additional nodes are created to shape a polycentric city with multiple hubs of activity:
A united vision draws upon industrial, employment and trade opportunities seen in El Paso and Cuidad Juarez’s economic prosperity, while recognizing shortcomings in the urban planning of the region’s sister cities. Economic, social, cultural and environmental sustainability are urban assets and organizing principles for the proposal’s design. Challenging “border situations” are likely to multiply across the world as populations grow, migration increases, and economies continue to globalize. Romero introduces an urban prototype, with a hexagonal plan, that might offer a new model for a rapidly developing world.
Border City at London Design Biennale 2016 from FR-EE Fernando Romero Enterprise on Vimeo.
More graphics:
Border city at London Design Biennale (7 – 27 September 2016)
fr•ee
Founded by renowned architect Fernando Romero, fr•ee is a global architecture and design practice focusing on the intersection of culture development and technology from offices in New York and Mexico City and a staff of nearly 200. Since 2000, fr•ee has built more than 1.2 million m2 / 13 million ft2, and has 1.4 million m2 / 15 million ft2 in development. The projects address a wide range of public and private initiatives from community education to urban development.
fr•ee’s projects translate contemporary moments of society, context and culture into built form, achieving ground-breaking results through extensive technological advancements, research and the implementation of green infrastructure.
The concept of translation embodies fr•ee’s mission and philosophy, with the ultimate goal of rendering periods of societal, political and economic transformation into three-dimensional form.
Collaboration is central to fr•ee’s design investigation, working closely with clients, policy makers, curators, educators, non-profit entities, developers, engineers, contractors, artists and anthropologists, to ultimately reach comprehensive and innovative solutions.
Beyond practicing design, fr•ee orchestrates initiatives aimed at elevating standards of living and education, particularly in Latin America, through research, sports and curation.
Fernando Romero, FAIA is recognized as one of the leading architects of his generation. He was named a Global Leader of Tomorrow at the World Economic Forum in 2002, one of the 50 Most Influential Designers by Fast Company in 2012 and became an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2013. He was recently recognized by the esteemed Fundación Pedro Sarquís Merrewe for his contributions to Mexican culture and society via his work in the fields of Architecture and Design.
Border City Vision – Collaborators
Burohappold
Founded 40 years ago, BuroHappold Engineering is one of the world’s premier multidisciplinary engineering consultancies. With a global network of 23 offices, burohappold combines globalized knowledge with local understanding and experience to offer a complete range of technical and planning services for the built and natural environment, tackling complex design and implementation issues relating to buildings, neighborhoods, cities, and institutions.
BuroHappold Cities is the strategy consulting and infrastructure engineering arm of BuroHappold. The Cities discipline provides strategic planning, project management, analytical, and infrastructure engineering services to a diverse range of public- and private sector clients worldwide—bringing together planners, economists, engineers, urban designers, real estate professionals and demographers to develop tailor-made and highly effective solutions to today’s multi-layered urban issues.
Pentagram
Pentagram is an international design consultancy, offering a vast array of creative services ranging from architecture to website design. With over 40 years of experience, Pentagram continues to challenge and shape the standards within the industry as a whole. We are thrilled at our continued partnership with FR-EE and our collaborative participation in this years London Biennale.
Team: Fernando Romero, Sergio Rebelo, Unai Artetxe, Jessica Wang, Daniela Gallo, Ruoting Wang, Joao Urbano, Pedro Ramírez de Aguilar, Gaia Cella, Aleksandra Lukianova, Romain Thijsen, Luis Torres Lira, Yuri Jeong, Francisco Rocha, Rigel Davila, Qingyi Chen, Moss Palmer. David Forsyth, Filipe Jose Lacerda Neto, Osmin Josue Lopez Avalos, Dante Baldassin, Tracy Guzikowski, Gabriel Maese, Turku Colak, Yanni Wang, Yuan Liu, Yueming Zhao, Xiao Gu.
Border city at London Design Biennale images / information received 090916; Copyright © FR-EE Fernando Romero Enterprise 2016, All rights reserved
FR-EE Fernando Romero Enterprise on e-architect
Location: El Paso, México, North America
Mexican Architecture
Contemporary Mexican Buildings
Mexican Architectural Designs – chronological list
Mexico City Architecture Tours – city walks by e-architect
Mexican Buildings – selection:
Hyatt Regency Andares, Puerta de Hierro zone, Zapopan, Jalisco
Architects: Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos
photograph : Rafael Gamo
Hyatt Regency Andares in Zapopan, Jalisco
Terraza / Rancho Sierra AllendeSan Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato
Architects: fabián m escalante h | arquitectos
photograph : Jorge Succar
Terraza / Rancho Sierra Allende, Guanajuato
BBVA Bancomer Mexico City
Design: LegoRogers (Rogers, Stirk Harbour + Partners with Legorreta + Legorreta)
photos © Lourdes Legorreta / LegoRogers
BBVA Bancomer Headquarters Mexico
Torre Cube – Office Block tower, Guadalajara
Design: Carme Pinós
Torre Cube
Museo del Acero – Museum of Steel, Monterrey
Design: Grimshaw Architects
Museo del Acero Monterrey
BIKO restaurant
Design: Entasis Architects
BIKO Restaurant
Comments / photos for the Border City Mexico / USA: London Design Biennale Architecture page welcome
