TAE

Location: Ensenada, Baja California

Built area: 10,415m²

Status: Project finished

Program: Bus Terminal

Year: 2017

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Company: MR Architecture (collaboration with m+n architects)

The Ensenada Bus Terminal (TAE) is a critical point for the city of Ensenada, Baja California. As an urban equipment, it must fulfill its function of transporting people in and out of the city. To achieve this, we conducted a study of the flow of routes, understanding the entrances and exits to the north and south of the city. After understanding this regional study, we conducted a smaller-scale urban study, which identified a lack of public space in the city. Based on the location of our site, we saw a great opportunity not only to generate an architectural object that would provide a transportation service to the city, but also to create a public space with the capacity to enhance the urban life of Ensenada.

The terminal building occupies a complete square block of approximately 100m x 100m. The geometry of the building adopts a curve composed of arches that strategically release one of the corners of the site to generate a large access plaza to the terminal that functions as a public space for the city. By generating the curve of the building, the pronounced topography of the site is also taken advantage of to create public space on the roof of the terminal with views of the boardwalk.