Amexica : Physical, Beautiful, Impenetrable.
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As wide scale immigration challenges borders across the globe and boundaries between countries become increasingly concrete, the ‘wall’ becomes a key architectural question of the 21st century. Amexica is a critical reinterpretation of one particular ‘wall’ - a highly densified, linear city spanning the entire length of the US / Mexico border - the result of an urban glitch that emerges as a consequence of careless economic policies and knee-jerk politics.
The proposal explores the architectural potential of the border condition, not as a line in the sand but instead as a series of complex relationships; conflicting values and potential opportunities. The ‘wall’ is revealed as a site of intense economic activity, clashing cultures, opportunistic exploitation and potent urban conditions. These relationships are realised through a series of architectural typology studies along the border that, when viewed together, comprise a holistic impression of a uniquely ‘interstitial’ city condition.
The first part of the design project aims to establish a set of city systems, building on the idea of a linear city and its role in simultaneously cutting and joining two territories. The second part of the investigation consolidates and further dissects these ideas through a series of section cuts; a luxury ‘suburban’ residential district, a waterside marina development, and a bi-national sports stadium.
