Over the last 20 years, Santa Fe has become one of Mexico City’s most important business districts, dotted with modern high rises, shops, and the largest shopping mall in Mexico.  The district also includes a residential area and college sector, the diversity of which gives the region the potential for dynamic social interaction.

At the center of the city, Ezequiel Farca’s design team saw an opportunity to foster such social interaction in a neglected park.  Central to the comings and goings of businesspeople, blue collar workers, and a variety of service industries, the park held potential as both a formal and casual gathering place, and as a place where individuals could connect and reconnect with their community according to their own schedules.

The design team conceived of CommuniTree, an iconic yet pragmatic structure that functions as a community bulletin board.  The CommuniTree holds postings of Items for sale, items for free, jobs offered, events and other announcements for community members or passersby to search or casually peruse while taking a lunch break.

Helping community members to recycle their own goods and services, the Tree itself is created from recycled urban waste – twisted steel and wood from damaged park benches; metal scraps from a construction yard – reclaimed and converted into the sinew that binds a community together.  The upper portion of the sculpture allows leaves and plants to grow in and through its branches, making a direct connection with the natural beauty of the park.  Materials and construction are inexpensive and durable, and use of the CommuniTree is simple enough for a child to understand.

The result is a central, recognizable icon for the park, a gathering place, and a place of connection with the community and the outoors. 

www.ezequielfarca.com