2024
MCHAP
Mercado Público Huimanguillo
128 Arquitectura y Diseño Urbano
Huimanguillo, Tabasco, Mexico
December 2022
PRIMARY AUTHOR
Fernando Tepichín Jasso (Project Director), Adolfo Valdez Ponce (Head Designer)
CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR
Ricardo Pérez González (Design team), Gustavo Angeles Lozano (Design team), Ana Laura Jurado Barrera (Design team), Diana Gómez Matehuala (Design team), José Antonio Rodríguez Morales (Design team
CLIENT
Ministry of Agricultural, Territorial and Urban Development (SEDATU, by its acronym in spanish).
PHOTOGRAPHER
Alejandro Gutiérrez
OBJECTIVE
The main idea of the project was to offer simple, regular geometric shapes, to meet the functional requirements related to the requested programme. The design was approached with a systematic method, based on a modular criterion based in the dimensions and areas of typical commercial premises, whith a surface area of 7.40 square metres.
Departing from a rectangular base plot, the market was organised in two shopping hallways, on the north and south sides, with an open central convivial courtyard. As ventilation elements porticos were placed inside, on the long sides of the courtyard, and in the outside perimeter, on the north, south and west sides. Services were located at the back, on the east side. Taking into account climatic conditions and the need for natural cross air circulation, the height of the market is generous, with continuous permanent openings, allowing sufficient and homogeneous natural lighting. The premises are 4.90 m high and the roof structure, 3.15 m high, still protrudes from them. The stalls encompass a ground floor with an upper mezzanine, allowing for public circulations with a double height. The walkways are orderly and well-defined, with a resulting image of an overall design friendly and attractive.
CONTEXT
The “José Mercedes Gamas” Public Market occupies a block on the western edge of the town of Huimanguillo, in the State of Tabasco, in an urban area that concentrates supplies and services due to its proximity to the bus central station and the regional highway connection.
This building replaces the old one, which was gravely affected in its infrastructure due to the lack of maintenance and in its superstructure with a high level of corrosion due to the relative humidity which can reach up to 95%. This posed a risk to the habitability of the building.
The architectural programme was conditioned by the compliance with the number and layout of the original stalls and commercial premises, that implied a complex social management and organization.
The building evolves from a central rectangular courtyard that divides it into two blocks of commercial locations. The interior walls are of exposed brick, as well as the latticework of the perimeter portico, an outer envelope that naturally ventilates the interior of this market set in a tropical site.
The roof is formed by a succession of straight-sided barrel vaults, of concrete shells. The naturally pigmented red concrete, throughout the envelope, proposes to rescue the chromatic of regional structures, while offering a construction system with a longer useful life.
PERFORMANCE
The market was built during the pause in public activities of the pandemic, acquiring a new strength within the community. This resulted from the increase of the perimeter arcade space, that connected easily with the surrounding streets. The identity of the place has been a core concern, becoming an urban landmark that establishes a link with the community. It has a positive impact within the surrounding community, with a role in supporting small businesses, fostering entrepreneurship, and creating opportunities for economic growth and revitalization. The building doubles as a cultural hub and gathering place, hosting events, and activities that celebrate the rich diversity of the local area and foster acquaintances between local residents and visitors alike
The renovation of this commercial infrastructure brought an image of sustainability to the new public building. It celebrates and promotes local food culture, highlighting the diverse array of vendors, artisans, and culinary offerings.
As part of a federal government’s Urban Improvement Programme, various strategic projects were also designed to modernise Huimanguillo’s public facilities and spaces. The proposal of an urban integration connects on the south side with the commercial corridor of the town, that incorporated a new plant canopy and urban fixtures. In the same spirit, parks and sports facilities were designed and built, to enhance the life of the inhabitants of Huimanguillo, since the town is the capital of the largest of the 17 municipalities of the state of Tabasco.
