The Macro Plaza

This project reconceptualizes the past and future of the Macroplaza through a series of three short films that narrate alternative and contrasting visions of the square and culminate in a strategic proposal for the future of this controversial territory.

Imposed by the State Government, Monterrey’s city square required the demolition of 40 hectares of the historic city cen- tre in order to meet an agenda of progress and modernity. Short after its construction, the square proved to be unsuccessful in attracting the redevelopment and private investment that justified its existence. In only four decades, evidence of abandon- ment and years of neglect can be found all throughout this concrete mega- structure. Nonetheless, a closer examination of its history and present state reveal that the square plays a vital role in the construction of the identity of the city, undertaking functions that are closely tied to a longer past of the city centre predating the square.

the value of this project is in presenting a way in which modern megastructures can be studied and reimagined, moving away from their totalizing vision which, as this project demonstrates, hardly represents the lived experience of the space. As an alternative, the story of the Macroplaza is presented simultaneously through the macro, micro and multi, and through its past, present and future. These focal shifts in the way this space can be understood allows for overlooked details to surface and even become protagonists of new narrations which challenge the seemingly obvious history of this big square.