Mexico City, Mexico

Designed by Quintanilla Arquitectos, the Cárdenas Sports Complex is a steel and concrete structure that includes a skate park soccer field, playground, and outdoor gym.

At the center of the complex, which was commissioned by the Mexican Secretariat for Agrarian, Land and Urban Development (SEDATU), is a long double-height steel-and-concrete structure.

The structure covers a basketball court, as well as a multi-purpose sports court and a small plaza. 

A small brick structure under the canopy contains a small office and restrooms for users of the complex.

The architecture studio included new trees at the periphery of the space that help offset the region’s typical high temperatures.

“In a region of extreme heat and sun, shade is essential for the practice of indoor sports, in addition to ensuring thermal comfort,” states the architecture studio.

“The project integrates the shade of trees as natural cover to provide shaded areas for enjoyment and coexistence.”

Quintanilla Arquitectos have also created flexible meeting space for residents, as the site was formerly used for informal gatherings by the town’s residents.

“The spaces serve the purpose they were intended for, but also for what the population will use them for,” says the studio.

“A city is a place where young people should feel welcomed, protected, and cared for,” it continues.

“Public spaces should encourage the creation of family and social ties that allow for this.”

One of the primary concerns for the development of the project was durability which led the architecture studio to use materials that require practically no maintenance and are available locally.

All materials used with the future in focus, without finishes, and reduce maintenance in the long term, taking into account the availability of materials in the area.

Project: Cárdenas Sports Complex
Architects: Quintanilla Arquitectos
Client: SEDATU
Photographers: Quintanilla Arquitectos