mexico city’s new international airport will not be realized following a public referendum, pushed for by mexico’s president-elect andrés manuel lópez obrador. although construction work on the $13 billion project — designed by foster + partners and FR-EE (fernando romero enterprise) — had been underway since 2015, the president-elect had raised concerns about the airport’s maintenance costs, and argued that the project was tainted by corruption.

mexico city airport
all images courtesy of foster + partners | FR-EE

 

 

according to reuters, roughly a million people, just 1% of mexico’s electorate, participated in the referendum with almost 70% voting against the new airport. although the vote was non-binding, lopez obrador has pledged to respect the result.

 

a team comprising foster + partners, FR-EE (fernando romero enterprise), and NACO (netherlands airport consultants) first won an international competition to complete the airport in 2014. the plans involved the creation of one of the world’s largest airports with up to six runways and a 560,000-square-meter terminal.

mexico city airport
the airport would’ve been one of the world’s largest

 

 

although the project had been underway east of the city center, voters were asked if the next government should finish the project (which would replace the existing airport), or, alternatively expand a military air base around 50 km (30 miles) north of the capital and keep the current airport. at the time of writing there has been no official comment from either foster + partners or FR-EE.

mexico city airport
mexico’s president-elect had raised concerns about the airport’s maintenance costs

 

 

proposals by a variety of firms were unveiled in june 2014, including designs by JAHN, LOGUER, and ADG and sordo madaleno arquitectos, who teamed up with pascall+watson.


the airport had been under construction since 2015
image courtesy of nuevo aeropuerto MX

kieron marchese I designboom
oct 29, 2018

  • Waydago Mexico! That is an example of Democracy. Not the watered down “reprentative republic” we are. That’s great the people were able to stand up and say “No Mas!” There have been a gazillion corrupt public works schemes in Mexicos pathetic history. Now if the US could do such. For example, vote on whether it’s wall or infrastructure !

    mike grosser says:
    Oct 30, 2018
    Reply

  • Actually just and aprox of 0.5% to 0.55% percent of the population participate in the referendum. And with lots of evidence of manipulation and segregation of voters.

    Aldo Urban says:
    Oct 30, 2018
    Reply

  • Wow! What a waste of TIME and money. If the problem is corruption then remove the people and officials involved in it and replace them with those who are reliable and competent. NOT STOP THE PROJECT! Unfortunately, Mexico does not have Rodrigo Duterte who kicks-out government people who are and were found to be corrupt.

    Tung Cab says:
    Oct 30, 2018
    Reply

  • The problem was not the “idea of new airport” but it was filled with corruption, and unmanaged give away of government contracts. Not to mention a negative environmental impact. The referendum was a precedent between unrestricted authoritative neoliberalism . Keep in mind, this airport was under an administration that has 50% of his governors facing criminal charges. Politician charged on the billions (with a “B”) for corruption…

    Jorge Pascal says:
    Oct 30, 2018
    Reply

  • the thing is ( I’m living in CDMX ,16 years now) is that every government make their own dirty business and now its changing governments and the previous didn’t finish the process so the new one, wouldn’t earn from this.
    New president says ti be clean and anticorruption , but……now he’s going to build HIS new airport somewhere else. Conclusions on your own.

    mariano badaracco says:
    Oct 30, 2018
    Reply

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