Context

The SCOP Center (Centro SCOP), a modernist landmark in Mexico City, stands as a monumental convergence of architecture, public art, and post-revolutionary nation-building. Originally constructed in the 1950s as the headquarters of Mexico’s Secretariat of Communications and Public Works, the complex features over 6,000 square meters of stone mosaic murals by artists such as José Chávez Morado, Guillermo O’Higgins, and Luis Nishizawa. These artworks embody themes of labor, identity, and collective progress, and are recognized as some of the most significant expressions of mid-century public art in Latin America.

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Following severe structural damage from the 1985 and 2017 earthquakes, the SCOP complex was closed to the public. Controversial efforts to relocate its murals to the now-canceled Mexico City airport project have stalled—placing the site’s cultural heritage in a state of uncertainty. In response, a growing civic movement is reimagining SCOP not as an administrative facility, but as a public cultural center grounded in accessibility, memory, and community use.

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This emerging vision proposes the preservation of the murals in situ, alongside the adaptive reuse of the space as a hub for cultural programming with a special focus on children and intergenerational learning. More than a restoration, this is a call to reactivate SCOP as a living monument—a space that honors its historical significance while reshaping its future through inclusive design, public dialogue, and civic participation.

Concept

The reimagining of the SCOP Center in Mexico City proposes a modular architectural framework that weaves education, culture, and everyday civic life into a walkable, multi-layered landscape. Honoring the site's historic murals, the design embeds these monumental works into the public realm—transforming them from static artifacts into lived, spatial experiences.

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While the project prioritizes children and youth, its inclusive programming and flexible design serve a broad public—from local families and students to artists, activists, and cultural visitors. Situated at the intersection of the Narvarte neighborhood and the wider urban fabric, SCOP becomes a connective node that links community infrastructure with cultural engagement.

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By responding to zoning constraints, respecting the existing topography, and integrating with surrounding public amenities, the redesign envisions SCOP as a regenerative civic space—one that not only preserves memory, but activates it. Through play, art, and intergenerational gathering, the project positions the site as a vital platform for collective healing, creative expression, and spatial justice in contemporary Mexico City.