espacio cero's subsidence pavilion is a wake up call for sinking grounds in mexico city

as mexico city continues to pull water from acquifers below, its ground is sinking dramatically and espacio cero exposes that striking phenomena with its subsidence pavilion proposal. indeed, the aquifer has been under increasing pressure over the last several decades as the city’s population has skyrocketed. while subsidence has been stabilized in the urban center, many parts of the metropolis continue to sink. — with some parts going more than ten meters deep during the last century.

the pavilion is a call for collective awareness regarding the dramatic subsidence witnessed in mexico city

espacio cero‘s pavilion represents the ancient level of mexico city, ten meters above its actual street landscape. the proposal is in fact a call for collective awareness in alameda central, the most popular and traditional park in the downtown — where the ground has sunken 1.60 meters during the 21st century, representing the average mexican’s height. 

each column is made up of recycled trash barrels

a grid of twelve columns, six meters in height and located in the west side of alameda central, defines a virtual space where people witness the different levels of the city through time starting from the 1960s. in other words, the proposal works as an added urban layer that reveal the city’s past. sounds and smells are part of the experience because this ancient park has been an inherent part of city, witnessing its incessant growth. each column would be made of recycled trash barrels, a common urban object in mexico city’s daily life.

concept diagram of the proposal

alameda central is the most ancient park of mexico city

espacio cero subsidence pavilion works like a new urban layer to reveal its past

sounds and smells of alameda central are part of the experience

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom