Emergence: Mechanisms for Adaptive Reuse in Mexico City

Mexico City’s tianguis markets emerge both architecturally and as a response to community needs, adapting to existing infrastructure and creating a set of unique spatial and social conditions. Inspired by the transient and fixed forms, informal movement patterns and user interaction within the tianguis, Emergence proposes an adaptive mechanism to address reuse and user needs over time in a mixed-use housing development sited in the historic Edificio Gaona. The intervention allows users to interact and reclaim public space within the historic structure, while creating opportunities for affordability and privacy within and between units.