la plancha park: emblematic design that merges architecture and engineering

prefabricated and emblematic architecture

A new public space has transformed downtown Mérida: La Plancha Park, a multidisciplinary project that combines design, heritage recycling, and engineering. The site houses a piece of the country’s railway history, the former Central Railway Station of Mérida, which when it fell into disuse became a dividing space between important areas of the city. The design, the product of a collaboration between architects Javier Muñoz and Carlos Quesnel, sought to revitalize the area and generate a connecting space through the introduction of equipment for recreational activities, green areas, and walkways that prioritize thermal comfort. With the collaboration of Predecón — whose custom prefabricated concrete products have made projects such as Plantel Matilde possible — the equipment of the new Parque La Plancha goes beyond function, seeking to create emblematic architectural spaces through engineering.

Images courtesy of Quesnel (unless specified)

the organic structures of La Plancha Park

The landscaping design of the new Parque La Plancha had as its main intention to become a lung for the city. At the same time, this facility seeks to consolidate the activation of the city’s central neighborhoods. As it has such an important location, the park also had to become a reference point for Mérida. From the outside, sculptural organic elements generate an interesting visual overview of the project. A sinuous walkway articulates the park’s program, ending in an amphitheater whose curved structure emulates the shape of a shell.

Due to the climatic conditions in Merida – an extremely high level of humidity and heat – concrete stood out as an ideal material for the project. In addition to providing a microclimate with optimal thermal comfort, concrete requires a lower level of maintenance compared to other materials vulnerable to the humidity and saltpeter prevalent in the area. Moreover, the material’s malleability was ideal for achieving the organic forms that characterize Muñoz + Quesnel’s design. Collaborating with Predecon’s team, whose trajectory of more than three decades has been characterized by breaking with the pre-established molds in the structural concrete products industry, was a natural choice.

Although the architects had a clear vision for the project, the main structures posed significant structural challenges. On the one hand, the geometry of the amphitheater consists of a roof with a double curvature, supported on a single point on the ground — so that the upper part becomes a kind of curved cantilever with a clear span of more than 16 meters. For its part, the walkway was conceived as a totally organic structure in the line it follows and its oblong supports, which means that each segment of the roof is unique.

Molds that break new ground

La Plancha Park’s circular walkway hugs a large body of water, surrounding it with a gull-wing-shaped canopy. Visitors can enjoy activities such as rafting on the lake, which has a surface area of approximately 1.3 hectares. At the ends are located ‘beaches’, through which users can be in direct contact with the water. A large boardwalk around the lake offers a space for recreation and observation; two steps descend over the water, allowing visitors to sit and contemplate the scenery.

Unlike other precast projects where the aim is to generate repetition in as many pieces as possible, the radial and irregular layout of the circular walkway involved sections of different sizes on the inside and outside perimeter of the curves. Each precast element was modeled using Revit to create its own mould or formwork – unlikely to be used again in another project. Despite the high degree of difficulty in designing the walkway, the assembly process with precast elements allowed for simplified assembly, eliminating the risk of errors when casting on site.

positioning of the curved walker | image © Predecon

The amphitheater is developed as a central element in the new landscape of La Plancha Park, an exoskeleton formed by concrete ribs envelops a space dedicated to hosting outdoor cultural events. This area, almost 100 meters in diameter, is divided by a strip of seats and a natural slope of grass where users can casually access the events, as an extension of their city.

To create the structure of the amphitheater, which seems to emerge from the earth, curving in on itself to form the stage, Predecón used the rigid soil of Mérida to his advantage. The city has limestone sediments, a material that makes excavations more expensive and creates difficulties in construction processes. The engineering team took advantage of this by anchoring each rib to the bedrock. The length of each piece cantilevers about 16 meters above the ground, a distance that a couple of decades ago would have seemed difficult to cover.

amphitheater assembly process | image © Predecón

amphitheater foundation detail | image © Predecón

image © Predecon

Since its inauguration a couple of months ago, La Plancha Park has become an urban catalyst for Merida. The imminent need for a recreational space for the community and capable of connecting the surrounding neighborhoods required an extensive program with adequate services and infrastructure. The design by architects Javier Muñoz and Carlos Quesnel sought not only to meet these needs, but to endow the project with an emblematic architecture that celebrates the city and its legacy.

The creation of the monumental double-curved pieces that make up the amphitheater and the walkway breaks with the pre-established parameters of what is expected of prefabricated buildings. At the same time, the possibility of configuring the geometry and architecture of these spaces with prefabricated elements is possible thanks to Predecón’s trajectory and its constant search to design new customized solutions.