This project addresses the simultaneous existence of three cultures present within the city of Merida, Yucatan, Merida.
The research focuses on the meaning of culture as well as the site’s surrounding context. In order to truly define the culture of a place one has to take into consideration a wide variety of aspects. Aspects such as language, textiles, beliefs, architecture, climate, food, and music make up a culture. Each one is unique to a place due to information passed on to succeeding generations. With time and with advancements in technology, a culture starts to become a layering of other external elements and cultures.
When speaking of layers, layers are implied as distinct elements that when combined make up a whole. Yucatan but more specifically it capital, Merida, has a unique culture consisting of primarily 3 layers of cultures such as, Spanish, Mayan and Mexican.
The design project is a cultural center on the corner of the historic district’s Parque Central. Many colonial buildings still stand but others have collapsed and new contemporary iterations attempting to continue the fabric have arisen. The cultural center embodies in itself a synthesis of the three cultures while keeping close attention to the manner in which it addresses it’s immediate context.