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Musevi by Ten Arquitectos, Villahermosa
Museo Elevado de Villahermosa - or Musevi, as it is nicknamed - is the lynchpin of an ambitious, three-pronged plan to reinvigorate the city and reclaim its traffic-clogged artery, Paseo Tabasco, for pedestrians and cyclists. Suspended above the road from a central core and hovering above a lake, the exhibition space is encased in perforated metal. The structure's curved spine and teeth-like columns give it more than a passing resemblance to the alligators lurking in the water below.
Accessed via ramps and stairs, Musevi connects two recently rejuvenated parks. It plays host to a revolving exhibition programme and at its feet is an outdoor amphitheatre, bringing back social gathering to this central strip of Villahermosa once more. Phase two and three of Ten Arquitectos' masterplan - set to cost a cool $20m - include one kilometre of new streetscape, energy-saving lighting, lake-shore improvement and gardens, in place of derelict buildings and other urban detritus. Villahermosa's mayor Jesus Ali hopes that by improving the infrastructure and pedestrian environment, the project - named Paseo de las Ilusiones (Walk of Illusions) - will also encourage more development in the area.
Photography: Luis Gordoa