The Next Generation 3rd prize for Latin America went to Improving Market in Mexico – Urban commercial rejuvenation and capacity building by Pablo Goldin Marcovich, student at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City.

Plaza Merced 2000 is a landmark building in one of the oldest commercial districts in Mexico City. Only 20 percent of the building remains in use. There are even plans to demolish it. The project by Pablo Goldin Markovich, student of architecture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, proposes renovating the building and exploiting its full potential. As part of the transformation, the carbon footprint is to be minimized. To achieve this, the building structure will be maintained and upgraded using recycled materials. Water and energy management will be optimized. A variety of stakeholders will be accommodated in the building in order to initiate circular processes of collaboration based on shared interests.

“Urban and social development should be linked together,” insists Pablo Goldin Markovich: “Different actors complement each other to generate value and empower the community.” The building thus acquires a new identity and becomes an open, dynamic facility for commercial, educational, and leisure uses. The mingling of uses is a proactive solution to promote community interaction and social inclusion, agrees the jury. Marilyne Andersen: “In this project we are not only looking at a way to preserve the existing but to add more value on top of it.”

Media Release (English) – Latin America: Responses to pressing challenges

Comunicado de Prensa (Spanish) – Latinoamérica: Respuestas a desafíos urgentes