Equestrian Centre

Tecnológico de Monterrey (ITESM), dep. of architecture

Project idea

The project aimed to intervene in an abandoned bullring in the city of Monterrey, Mexico, to transform it into an equestrian and entertainment center. The idea was to restore the history and tradition of the place as a gathering space. Since it is located in an urban neighborhood, it was important to rethink the way we conceived the plaza as a public space, in order to generate cohesion with the neighborhood and the people passing through the area.

Project description

The project was approached with the idea of creating an entertainment center with a public ground floor that integrates a park around it. Thus, sloped access points were installed to concentrate the private fan zone in an underground area beneath the slopes surrounding the stadium. Around the venue, a park with sidewalks and jogging tracks was planned, proposing the reforestation of the public space. Additionally, a second public venue was designed as a sunken, floodable park, which could host smaller-scale events.

Inside the stadium, a space was designed to accommodate various types of events, including equestrian, bullfighting, concerts, and Mexican rodeo (charrería) events.

In the public park, a bullfighting memorial was incorporated to honor the ancient bullfighting tradition in Monterrey. This museum was designed as a cylindrical structure sunk into the ground, in the shape of a horseshoe, with multiple levels for permanent and temporary exhibition halls.

Technical information

The project proposes a structure that creates tunnels in the linear park accompanying the public area on the ground floor, while the upper part functions as a clamp supporting the bleachers and the stadium's roof. The structure is conceived as an axis that solves the project's program, as it dissects the stadium's modulation and the formal composition of the project. Its curves allow for fluidity and, above all, continuity to the slopes on the ground floor, which house the fan zone program in the underground part.

Additionally, a bike path is proposed in the park, which rises to provide views of the memorial, the sunken park, and the stadium. This is designed through a system of rigid frames.

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