a lush flora engulfs tatiana bilbao's monolithic research center

Jan 22, 2024

Developed as part of a regeneration program for the Mazatlan Central Park in Mexico, Tatiana Bilbao Estudio’s Research Center of the Sea of Cortés comes to life as a striking concrete monolith where sea and earth dramatically collide in every direction. This latest addition complements the area's public, cultural, and nature-rich context, offering visitors a complete and immersive journey into the marine and terrestrial ecosystems that characterize the Sea of Cortés — a marginal body of water within the Pacific Ocean — and its shores.

image © Tonatiuh Armenta

Structurally, Tatiana Bilbao (see more here) did not hold back; a series of programmaric and service walls expand across the site area in an orthogonal and irregular fashion to compose a rational and flexible complex that integrates into its surroundings while offering structural stability. Enveloping the architecture at every corner is a rich layer of flora that seems to be living and growing around and inside of it. By infusing the Research Center of the Sea of Cortés with nature, the architect reinforces identity and belonging to the natural context, blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior for greater interaction.

image © Tatiana Bilbao Estudio

Designed as a complete immersion into the natural world, the visitor's journey begins in the outdoor public space before heading to the top of the building and finally descending to the main entrance plaza, where they can enjoy the start of the exhibition. From this plaza, visitors have access to four different recreated ecosystems — the open sea, shores, land, and forest — as well as public laboratories and an auditorium. The exhibition has no specific order; visitors can begin their explorations with any ecosystem thanks to a continuous and flexible sequence of spaces that seamlessly connect to the site's natural exteriors.

image © Tonatiuh Armenta

Program-wise, Tatiana Bilbao developed the Research Center of the Sea of Cortés into three levels. The ground floor hosts the administration and staff areas, a reception zone for school groups, public services section, most marine life conservation and support facilities, and general centralized installations. As for the first floor, the architect made room for the main entrance plaza, exhibitions, and the rest of the public services. Atop one section of this level sits the maintenance area for the center's big tanks, with complementary programs like dressing rooms, and bathrooms, as well as equipment for personnel and visitors wishing to dive into the oceanic tank. The rest of the second floor is occupied by the remaining equipment and facilities for marine life support.

image © Tonatiuh Armenta

image © Tonatiuh Armenta

image © Christian Belmont