CIRCLE TIME

A Mexican city rings the changes with a year-round event venue that fosters a strong connection between its users and nature

- ELLIE STATHAKI

A once-neglected venue for an annual livestock and agricultural event in the Mexican city of Chetumal has been refreshed as a multifunctional fairground wrapped by a verdant urban park. The project, a government commission won by the Londonand Mexico City-based architecture practice Aidia Studio, is situated on the outskirts of Chetumal (the capital of the state of Quintana Roo) and borders the lush foliage of the Yucatán Peninsula’s subtropical forest. Consisting of a series of light, seemingly floating, round pavilions with geometrically patterned roofs, the scheme creates an otherworldly image when seen from above; yet this family of structures was crafted with pragmatism in mind, as well as a strong desire for it to become embedded into the local community, responding to its needs and wellbeing.