Firm： DLC Architects

Type： Commercial › Shopping Mall Landscape + Planning › Playground Private Garden Urban Green Space

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2019

SIZE： 0 sqft - 1000 sqft

BUDGET： $100K - 500K

Located on a very narrow plot inside one of Mexico City's most important mixed use complex. "Arcos Bosques Pocket Park" is placed in between 2 restaurants, one small art gallery and the main path inside the Shopping Mall that leads to a hotel. The area was only used first, as a form of visual aid to the restaurants with a

shallow water pond and fountain and eventually lost its relevance due to malfunctioning and poor maintenance.

Arcos Bosques was in need of an open space that although would still serve as part of the shopping mall experience with the restaurants extending their terraces it would also function as an open "Green space" with a playground for kids, seating area for a pontential placement of an outdoor kiosk or café, and the integration of the restaurant's terraces into the same

architectural language.

Vital to this transformation was the use of "lush vegetation" and trees wherever possible, and because the space was all above a parking level, a sort of "roof garden" solution would be needed in order to hold all of the soil and plants. Former walls and structures that once were used for the fountain and water pond were transformed into "green walls" (1 meter steel plate planters attached to the concrete wall in different sizes) and even the restaurants and building facades were also used in order to achieve a much needed "green" transformation.

elevated 2" inch travertine silvergray marble tiles in different sizes were placed above the waterpond to form the deckfloor that sort of "dilutes itselt" with a restored waterpond and aquatic vegetation in between.

A series of trees placed in line with an elevated marble bench forms a "virtual line" between the playground and the ousite caffe terrace.

Contruction / Design Collaboration: Jafif Arquitectos