bulevar sucre

2022

el hatillo, caracas

venezuela

area: 4100 m2

client: fondo de valores inmobiliarios s.a. c.a. 

design and supervision: mrpunto arquitectos asociados 
in collaboration with bastidas & salinas  

design team: alberto schwarz, daniel zambrano, jose miguel sosa,
luis la fratta, maria fernanda rodríguez & mauricio godoy

structural engineering: edisismo c.a.

sanitary engineering: ingeniería amelinckx c.a.

construction company: constructora satini

landscape advisory: doctor en matas

photography: lu media - luciano ortiz











 

paseo el hatillo la lagunita is a large shopping mall built in 2005, targeting a growing middle and upper class in venezuela during an economic boom. at that time, the el hatillo district was developing rapidly, while the nearby colonial town was largely overlooked.

in 2010, venezuela faced an economic crisis that impacted commerce, services, and tourism, leading to the mall gradually losing visitors. for years, an improvised bus terminal connected the mall to the town, as the town did not have an official facility.

by 2019, the economy began to improve, and the town gained popularity due to its traditions and food offerings, while the mall was largely forgotten.

in december 2021, the town hall decided to build an official bus terminal, leaving the space of the old terminal unused and uncertain. this created an opportunity for the mall to reconnect with the town, as both needed each other: the mall required visitors from the town, and the town needed parking, given that the mall has around 1,000 unused parking spaces.









the site is divided by bella vista street. to the east lies the shopping mall, and to the west is the colonial town of el hatillo. the site concludes to the southwest with plaza sucre, a national monument renowned for its historical significance.

plaza sucre was a triangular space enclosed by a fortress-like wall, accessible only by two staircases from the street below. while it was used as an unofficial bus stop, its secluded location and isolated layout made it an uninviting and underutilized space.

the plaza's trees provided shade for waiting passengers, but the planters containing them fragmented the space, hindering potential connections and visual flow..







by reducing traffic, we widened sidewalks and created a new plaza on the site of the old bus terminal. this new plaza, temporarily named "plaza cota cero," faced the historic plaza sucre. the contrasting levels and views between the two plazas allowed for performances and events in the new square, visible from the old.

to connect the two plazas seamlessly, we proposed a single surface that eliminated traditional street barriers like steps, staircases, and gutters.

inspired by ricardo avella's royal vegetable garden in tervuren, belgium, we envisioned a system of ramps that created planters and seating areas. This design allowed for flexibility, accommodating both direct paths and more leisurely routes for strollers or wheelchairs.














the large, patterned surface resembles a vast pedestrian crosswalk, prioritizing people over cars. narrower streets limit vehicle traffic, making it safer and more pleasant for pedestrians.

the sloped surface accommodates ramps for easier access. additionally, planters with new and existing trees provide shade and enhance the visual appeal from higher vantage points.

by manipulating the surface, we can address drainage challenges common in tropical cities like caracas. we've positioned the street drains in the center rather than at the edges.

the dynamic urban furniture, like concrete spheres, curved benches, and planters, is intentionally flexible. this encourages people and children to use these elements in creative ways, without a fixed purpose.



publications + nominations:

2024 mchap.emerge