1st anniversary of La Plancha Park

Get to know with  Muñoz Arquitectos y Quesnel Arquitectos a project that rescues a forgotten railway park and turns it into a representative public space of the city of Mérida in 1st anniversary of La Plancha Park.

In the heart of Mérida, “La Plancha” emerges, reclaiming the forgotten railway park of the former “Ferrocarriles del Sureste”. With an area of 20 hectares, “La Plancha” stands as a public space, the mana gement and implementation of which are the result of citizen and government collaboration,
designating 85% of its area to green spaces, thus becoming the city’s lungs.

Vista aérea / Aerial view
Fotografía / Photography: Rafael Escudero Martínez

The design arises from the complexity of the terrain’s shape, with a strong geometry that guides the pathways. The first path is LINEAR (750 m), supported by a modular column system, whose apparent disorder adds dynamism to the experience of walking through. This path connects the terrain longitudinally and culminates in a second path, CIRCULAR (350 m in diameter), with a “winged” roof supported by a central column, transforming this stroll into a completely different experience. A third system of transverse walkways functions as an urban “scar”, healing an ancestral “railway wound” that divided the city center.

Andador lineal iluminado / Illuminated linear walkway
Fotografía / Photography: César Belio

The walkways are the “conducting threads” of the park, creating experiences of light, shade, and ventilation, linking various points and activities, and connecting to the historic center of the city. 

One premise of the design was to preserve the historical memory of the site. The echo of the railway and its history is maintained by preserving and highlighting the existing structures, as well as all the railcars and locomotives present on the grounds.

One premise of the design was to preserve the historical memory of the site, the echo of the railway and its history.

La Plancha is a park for EVERYONE… It includes a theater, a lake, interactive fountains, children’s playgrounds, gyms, a skate park, a Pet Park, and other activities for all types of users, regardless of age, gender, nationality, or social class… Everyone is welcome at La Plancha.

La Plancha has become the most notable and representative public space in the city, a meeting point where urbanism, history, nature, and architecture converge, celebrating social interaction and community.