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The City of Indigenous Arts : Indigenous culture, art, and urban restoration architecture project

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Nationality
Mexico
Group
Estudio MMX
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#UrbanRegeneration #IndigenousCulture #Community #Heritage

About Project

The urban regeneration project The City of Indigenous Arts (CAI) is a cultural and urban restoration initiative located at the confluence of the Mololoa River and major roads in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. More than a collection of buildings, it is a comprehensive project that weaves history, culture, architecture, landscape, and social relations into a symbolic whole.

Comprising four buildings and expansive public spaces, CAI revives an abandoned site, honors the cultural heritage of Indigenous communities, and realizes a participatory layout that centers artisans and their craft. The architecture employs local materials and traditional techniques to enhance structural stability and environmental adaptability, fostering a sense of belonging and historical continuity for both visitors and residents.

Spaces for learning, exhibitions, commerce, and riverside ecology and leisure serve as living vessels for sharing and exchanging Indigenous knowledge and culture in everyday life. Instead of monumental buildings, brick structures, plazas, and open boundaries create spaces where nature and culture interpenetrate—today actively used for regional festivals and gatherings.

At its core, CAI reinterprets symbols of the past to transform them into flexible, vibrant urban spaces. Within the flow of the river, the language of traditional architecture, and the evolving urban landscape, communities are reconnected, and the meanings preserved in the past enrich the present. CAI stands as living proof that architecture can transcend physical structures to embody dialogue, healing, and a shared sense of community.

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