INTRODUCTION. Today s cities are transforming into icons. Today s architects design our environment with the idea of transforming the way we use it, no matter how or where. But even when the change is the only constant, one thing remains the same: Today s cities are designed for people. Its public spaces are no longer for machines but for people. However, when the public space is redesigned, architects must think if the surrounding architecture is an icon as well. ARQUITECTURA / ICONO URBANO International Ideas Competition challenges to all architects and architecture students to propose new architecture next to the new urban icon in the Guadalajara City: Jorge Matute Remus Bridge and Park. THE BRIDGE. In January 2011, the Government of the State of Jalisco, and its Secretary of Urban Developement, unveiled the Jorge Matute Remus bridge, a vehicular causeway on Lázaro Cárdenas Avenue, in Guadalajara city. The bridge s function is the free crossing of Lázaro Cárdenas Avenue s central lanes over López Mateos Sur Avenue s lateral lanes, which central lanes crosses Lázaro Cárdenas Avenue through a tunnel. 1
The bridge s project was developed by Echauri Morales Arquitectos, a Guadalajara-based architecture firm leaded by Architect Miguel Echauri Corona and Architect Álvaro Morales Hernández. CoARQ appreciates Echauri Morales Arquitectos s support for providing graphic material for the competition s contestants. At the street level and below the bridge, the Jorge Matute Remus park was built, taking place over all the area the bridge released. The park s project was developed entirely by the General Direction for Public Space of the Secretary of Urban Developement, and its authors are Architect Manuel Becerra Arthur, M. Arch. Rodrigo Ochoa Jurado, M. Arch. Pablo Zamudio Zertuche and Arch. Edgar Adrián Hernández. CoARQ appreciates the General Direction for Public Space s support for providing graphic material for the competition s contestants. CoARQ also recognizes the outstanding impulse and succesful developement of the Jorge Matute Remus Park, as the project itself made a change the way local authorities regenerate the city s public space and it is a reference of urban design in the city. 2
THE VÍA RECREACTIVA. Since a few years, Guadalajara s municipal authorities implemented a public program called Vía Receractiva that consists in blocking vehicular transit of the city s main avenues, every Sunday from 9 to 14 hours, to be used by pedestrians and bicycles, people of all ages and social classes who walk, jogg, skate, ride bicycles and any non-mothorized vehicle. The acceptance this program has had, led the Vía s routes to expand to more avenues and more conurbated municipalities, such as Zapopan, Tonalá or Tlaquepaque. Since its opening, the Jorge Matute Remus Bridge was included in the routes of the Vía Recreactiva and every Sunday people come to jogg, skate, ride bicycles or simply to walk over the bridge, considering it an icon. In a place where beforethere were only cars and «nobody s land» now there is a place where at least once in a week is used as a public park. 3
THE SURROUNDINGS. The four corners of Lázaro Cárdenas-López Mateos junction, are the nearest points to the bridge, and the buildings located there get a major relevance according to the urban image point of view. At the northwest corner there is a hotel under construction, while not the best example of architecure, is now the tallest building in the city. Its presence in the immediate area makes a difference in the urban image even when no spatial relationship is held between the the building and the bridge nor the park. Only its rear facade and its massive volume confine public space without any correlation. At the northeast corner there is a gas station, while at the southeast corner there is a restaurant with a palapa roof. The immediate environment is an urban image without much architectural significance and enormus potential. THE PROJECT. Considering the economic feasibility, it is precisely the southwest corner, where there is now a two story building with commercial use where CoARQ promotes, through this international competition, a new building to integrate with the bridge and the park as a hole, becoming a city landmark. Also, the competition s final purpose is to manage to the extent possible the first prize winning project. 4
COMPETITION PROGRAM. The basico program starts from the idea of generating the most quantity of marketable or profitable area of the uses that may be the most compatible with the site: Housing, Retail and Offices. The total estate s surface is 3,904.85 square meters, the available area for building is 2,841.18 square meters, due to the municipal regulations specify a restriction gap locally called «servidumbre», which are marked in the following graphic. GUADALAJARA METROPOLITAN AREA PROYECT AREA The file Site Plan.dwg provided shows the gaps in detail and with measures. 5
A) HOUSING. The building shall have 200 housing units, clasified in three different types. TYPE A: 100 units. Area: 90 square meters each. One bedroom with full bathroom and a walk-in closet. Living room, dinning room, kitchen and laundry. Also a bedroom it may be used by visitors- with a full bathroom with two entreances: one from the bedroom and the other from the house s social areas. One parking space for each unit. TYPE B: 70 units. Area: 120 square meters each. Two bedrooms with full bathroom and a walk-in closet each one. Sala-comedor, cocina y lavandería. Living room, dinning room, kitchen and laundry. Also a bedroom it may be used by visitors- with a full bathroom with two entreances: one from the bedroom and the other from the house s social areas. A terrace or open space (it can be roofed). Two parking spaces for each unit. TYPE C: 30 units. Area: 150 square meters each. Three bedrooms with full bathroom and a walk-in closet each one. Sala-comedor, cocina y lavandería. Living room, dinning room, kitchen and laundry. Also a bedroom it may be used by visitors- with a full bathroom with two entreances: one from the bedroom and the other from the house s social areas. A terrace or open space (it can be roofed) and another smaller terrace or open space private for the main bethroom (it can be roofed). Three parking spaces for each unit. 6
A1) COMMON AREAS. The common areas are exclusive for the house units, and they shall include: OPEN SPACES. Plazas, gardens, terraces, sun decks, walkways, jogging track, pool, public restrooms, etc. This areas can be distributed both on the ground floor, rooftop or any intermediate floor. It is left to contestant s choice to propose more features than mentioned in this basic program. The lobby and main pedestrian entrance shall be situated infront the plaza of Lázaro Cárdenas Avenue s sidewalk. GYM. Free area: 150 square meters, double height space. It shall include a small frondesk, space for all kind of gym furniture, climbing wall, and resrooms. It is left to contestant s choice to propose more features than mentioned in this basic program. PRIVATE EVENTS TERRACE. Free area: 150 square meters for resident s private events of 50 people maximmum. It is basicly a roofed terrace with a little kitchen, restrooms, it shall include uncovered area and a small pool. This terrace will be able to be excluded and closed from the rest of the resident s public areas in case any inhabitant requires it by appointment. It shall have easy acces from the exterior for events guests. It is left to contestant s choice to propose more features than mentioned in this basic program. 7
MULTIPLE PURPOSE ROOM. Free area: 250 square meters for resident s private events. Double height space, can be used as a little private cinema. Residents can gather here for condominium assemblies administrativas del condominio. Maximum capacity: 200 people. It won t have restrooms, the open areas s restrooms will be used for this room. It is left to contestant s choice to propose more features than mentioned in this basic program. B) OFFICES. The building shall provide a total ammount of 2,000 square meters for offices, which will be for rent or sale. Those areas will be easy to subdivide according to each client s requirements. The office areas includes circulations (user s elevators, service elevators, emergency staircases, inner circulations). The offices won t have connection to housing areas. Each office will have their own restrooms, kitchens, boardrooms, etc. It will be responsability of each householder to arrange their own space according to their needs and respecting inner regulations design by the condominium manager. It should have acces from the basement parking and from the external sidewalks. The building must have one parking space for each 40 square meters used for office. 8
C) RETAIL The building must provide 2,500 square meters for retail. This area will be located in ground floor and in the first levels of the building. The retail areas will be connected to office areas but it won t have connection to housing areas. Each store will must have their own restrooms, kitchens, etc. It will be responsability of each householder to arrange their own space according to their needs and respecting inner regulations design by the condominium manager. It should have acces from the basement parking and from the external sidewalks. Within the restriction gap called «servidumbre» above Av. López Mateos, may be placed a total of 15 parking spaces and the exit and entry ramp to the basement parking for offices and stores. D) HOUSING MANAGER OFFICE. Total area of 70 square meters with reception and secretary, general manager office, a small boardroom, file storage area and men and women restrooms. This area shall be used as conciergerie. E) OFFICE AND RETAIL MANAGER OFFICE. Total area of 70 square meters with reception and secretary, general manager office, a small boardroom, file storage area and men and women restrooms. This area shall be used as conciergerie. 9
F) PARKING. The area for parking will be located in maximum 3 levels of basement for a required capacity of 450 cars. Each basement level sould respect the same restriction gap «servidumbre» marked on the plan. The distribution of parking spaces will be as follows: 1. Housing: 330 cars. 2. Offices: 50 cars. 3. Retail: 70 cars. The entry and exit of the parking for housing should be located at Ermita street or at the semi pedestrian lane of Lázaro Cárdenas Ave. These parking spaces shall have controled access and its location will prevent them from being used by people using the shops and offices. The entry and exit of the parking for the offices and shops should be located on López Mateos Ave. and the basement access for offices will be controlled by proximity cards and will be separated from the retail parking, so a user of retail area shall not park on the spaces for offices or housing and vice versa. 10
CHRONOGRAM. Competition launch: March 30th. 2011. Early registration: through May 15th. 2011. Late registration: through July 1st. 2011. Registration deadline: July 1st. 2011. Submission deadline: July 15th. 2011. Answering of queries: through July 15th. 2011. Jury deliberation: through July 25th. 2011. Winners announced: July 28th. 2011.. REGISTRY. The registry will be done at www.coarq.net in the registry section. The chronogram specifies the dates of early and late registration periods. The early registration cost is USD $80 (Eighty US dollars). The late registration cost is $95 (Ninety five US dollars). There is no limit in the number of projects one person can register, as long as the registry process is done for every project. There is no limit in the number of team members on one project. The winning prize will be awarded to the team, not each person individually. Each registered project will receive a 6 digits registration code, sent to the e-mail address each contestant provide at the registry form. 11
PROJECT DELIVERY. The project delivery consists in ONLY ONE image in JPG format, 4,200 pixels by 3,600 pixels (horizontal format) and no more than 10MB in size. The image must include the contestant s registration code (already received during the registration process) in the bottom right corner with a readable font size and color. Names of contestants and team members are not allowed on the picture or any kind of pseudonym. The file must be uploaded at www.coarq.net in the submit file section. The contestant will receive an email confirming that the file has been received. PRIZES. First Prize: $30,000.00 (Thirty thousand mexican pesos). The winning project will be subject to a management process to private groups of investors and local authorities in order to execute construction of the project. Second Prize: $20,000.00 (Twenty thousand mexican pesos). Third Prize: $15,000.00 (Fifteen thousand mexican pesos). 12
THE JURY. The jury is conformed by three architects whose experience and trajectory proves their capacity and knowledge in architectonic design, and whose identity will be revealed to the contestants at the time. Besides, the Jury will include a member of the Academia Nacional de Arquitectura Chapter Guadalajara, whose identity will be revealed to the contestants at the time. Besides the personal criteria of evaluation from each member of the jury, the basic criteria of eligibility will be: Innovation and relevance. Aesthetic qualities of the proposal. Modifications to the original architectonic program to benefit the project. Functionality. Technical feasibility in its construction. GENERAL NOTES. Even though this is an international idea contest, the first prize winner will be submitted to a process of management before the competent local authorities and to investors of the tourist sector in order to carry out the execution of the project. This project will be subject to smaller adjustments and modifications if necessary, which is why the contestant must accept and be flexible to the adjustments and modifications. 13
The project author(s) will be asked to do so if necessary once the management process begins. This process of management doesn t legally compromise or obligates Consorcio Arquitectura y Concursos, S.C. neither to governmental entity type nor to company nor group investors to execute the construction of the 1 st prize winner s project. ARQUITECTUTRA / ICONO URBANO International Ideas Competition is open to all students, architects, interior designers, urban designers, etc. that are capable of celebrating a benefit contract of professional services. In case that the managements are successful and only if it is required, Consorcio Arquitectura y Concursos S.C. will be able to be associated with the author or authors of the winning project. 14