Research and Interpretation Center of the Laguna de Sayula and its historical context

Climate change is a threat to humankind… what are we architects doing about it? How can a building encourage and promote environmental education by participating in it? This building tries to teach demonstrating through the space that promotes a better understanding of the problem and its possible solutions.

The project is located on an island within the lagoon being a central point near to main roads, summoning the building with a lighthouse as an iconic an attraction point towards the building, with the essence of guide and stability because it resists time and overcomes nature inclemency. The building opens a dialogue with its context through its chromatic gamma, the use of materials such as the stone obtained via the excavations of the foundation; but in contrast, its form is presented with a perfect shape disrupting the island’s organic elements and physiognomy. The project is faced with the challenge of designing spaces that influence the user in a direct, sensorial and unconscious way in relation with the problem, thus the experience becomes more precise to obtain a significant transformation on the visitor. With the interpretation room “Nature Oblivion” shows us closely the face of the human extinction and nature of the planet challenging the user to go through several stages, from the past where nature prevailed to the current situation, then we undergo a simulation of the near future where our world is lifeless, on a point of no return, trespassing the space of oblivion or non-existence we’ll have to ascend in order to exit towards the synthesis, reaching the upper part of the lighthouse where you can see the lagoon and its context from the point of view of a bird, making the user aware of what is at stake (also becoming a tourist attraction) all this looking for the correct openings to relate interior and exterior spaces. The interpretive tour will be complemented with the archeology, flora and fauna rooms, as well as workshop rooms, a laboratory, temporary exhibitions, multipurpose room and outdoor amphitheater.