SCI-Arc Students Investigate Architecture and Urbanism in Mexico City

SCI-Arc students recently traveled to Mexico City for an in-depth exploration of its architectural and urban landscape. Through site visits, discussions, and meetings with local architects, the trip provided critical insight into the interplay of history, materiality, and contemporary urban development.

The itinerary spanned diverse architectural scales, from UNAM’s modernist campuses to the Anahuacalli Museum’s raw materiality and Casa Barragán’s spatial mastery. Visits to Biblioteca Vasconcelos and Palacio de Bellas Artes highlighted Mexico City’s architectural dynamism, while conversations with Mexico City architects Francisco Pardo and Alberto Kritzler revolved around the transformative power of adaptive reuse, and using innovative materials.

The experience informs the studio’s current work: designing a youth orchestra performing arts center, with Mexico City as one of three proposed sites. The city’s rich musical and cultural history, alongside its complex urban conditions, provides a compelling context for the project.

Beyond site visits, the trip fostered a sense of community, with students sharing meals and exchanging ideas. One student described Mexico City as "electric," a sentiment echoed throughout the experience.

By engaging directly with Mexico City’s architectural fabric, SCI-Arc students deepened their critical understanding of design in context, reinforcing the school’s commitment to global architectural discourse.