The need to renovate the Papalote Museum was dictated by the fact that it was outdated both physically and morally. The customers of the project - its management and the municipal authorities of Mexico City - felt that its complex was becoming less and less interesting for the new generation of children immersed in IT technologies. The buildings, almost a quarter of a century old, had to be adapted to the growing flow of visitors (now the institution accepts about 750 thousand people a year) and to modern conditions, to increase its functionality and usable area. To solve all these problems, Legorreta bureau was invited. Some of the existing premises were rebuilt by the architects, others were expanded, and something was kept intact. The total area of the complex according to the results of the work was 9700 m2.
The architects have increased the main lobby of the museum by almost a third: its area is now 1200 m2, and the throughput increased to 1000 visitors per hour. We also updated the station where school groups and bus excursions arrive (at 3700 m2 there are a boarding platform, ticket offices, information booths). The station was equipped with lockers where you can leave bulky luggage like a backpack, a wheelchair, a baby stroller. Protection from rain and sun is provided by a transparent canopy.
The renovation also affected one of the symbols of the institution, Domo Digital Banamex - a spherical cinema where popular science films are shown in the format
IMAX. Lighting, air conditioning, fire fighting and security systems have been improved here.
In the building for the permanent exhibition, the lighting, video system, and also the facades were updated: now part of the windows and doors remain open, thereby ensuring through ventilation. They decided not to change the ceramic facing tiles of the building: all the entire plates were preserved, and the damaged ones were replaced with exactly the same new ones.
A completely new building for Papalote is a multifunctional event hall. It was housed in an oval-shaped structure with an area of 700 m2… Movable walls have been designed inside, due to which up to three events can be held simultaneously in the hall according to different scenarios. It provides for "smart" lighting, as well as a station for water purification; the roof of the building is landscaped.
New three-storey parking lot with an area of 5000 m2 capable of accommodating 256 cars. Its façade consists of perforated metal sheets that provide natural ventilation. In the eastern part of the complex, the architects placed a food court with nine cafes for a total of 450 visitors.
Another important task was the integration of the object into the existing landscape: "Papalote" is directly adjacent to the Chapultepec city park - the largest in the Western Hemisphere, its area is 686 hectares. The architects tried to remind the young visitors of the museum about the proximity to the park of green spaces - like the grass cover on the roof of the multifunctional hall or plants in tubs in the dining areas. In addition, the Legorreta workshop created another garden on the territory of the museum, and the existing "Mayan Garden" (located from the western corner) became like a forest. In addition, the large lobby was opened towards Chapultepec. The authors of the project used the natural and climatic advantages of the area to the maximum to create a “sustainable” complex. Many rooms use natural light and ventilation, which has reduced energy consumption by 25%; also helps save energy smart lighting. And rainwater harvesting, water treatment plants, etc. have reduced water consumption by 90%.
