Mercado District, Rio Nuevo

Tucson, Arizona

Client: Rio Development Company

The Mercado District is the first part of an ambitious undertaking, the Rio Nuevo Redevelopment Project, to repair the damage wrought by urban renewal in Tucson. This a 14-block, seven-plaza plan that includes 800 dwellings and 500,000 square feet of commercial space. The Mercado District’s design is based on the urban pattern of the local barrio, with a public realm of narrow streets, plazas, jardines, and paseos. Buildings are close to the sidewalk to shade pedestrians from the desert sun. A new three- to four-story arcaded main street terminates at the city’s birthplace, where the 18th century Convento and Presidio de San Augustin once stood. The architecture is guided by local precedent, with residential buildings primarily constructed of rammed earth and adobe.