CONCEPT
In the year 2020, Cancún, the capital of tourism in the Mayan Riviera will celebrate its 50th founding anniversary. To honour the city and its people, Arch. Richard Moreta Castillo, and Designer and Illustrator Michael Silvers have created a complex that will serve as a city landmark, a multifunctional memorial sculpturally formed from the gestalt of “kaan kun” (Nest of Snakes) and the magical legend of the Mayan Serpent God. The design contributes to the interpretation of the myth by raising the serpent from the water to infinity, representing the extraordinary fusion of the Mayan people and their new metropolis, projecting the pride of its residents, amplifying the interest of its visitors and serving as a platform for business and finance.
“Grand Cancún” was conceived from the core to fight global warming (i.e. reduce CO2 emissions) and recover the environment. The design will not just respond to the energy crisis and local fossil fuel dependency of the city, but also addresses problems like the scarcity and depletion of its ground water table and potable water, the pollution of coastal shores due to debris and spills of hydrocarbons in the water by congested marine traffic, and the absence of space for new construction due the overbuilt coastal area.
The design has some familiarity with an offshore oil platform, using the same concept to raise the complex above water instead of standing on an artificial island (made by landfill). This method creates more inhabitable space close to the city but minimizing the impact in the marine ecosystem to virtually zero. Grand Cancún will be the only platform created to restore the environment and save the planet, instead of exploiting it.
His architect has been involved in green architecture for a long time and is known for several eco-projects, like the Wind Tower (Egg tower), or the Creative Container Solutions for “Emergency Architecture”. His illustrator and designer has accumulated more than 1000 hours of work and scientific research in every possible issue involved. Now both are coming with this concept and venture to solve various coastal problems afflicting the city of Cancún while envisioning a jaw-dropping resort.
Grand Cancún will be a mega-building, an offshore city standing on stilts where hotels, shopping malls, convention-congress centers, cinemas and loads more will provide the ultimate experience in conventions and hospitality, while being totally self-sufficient, having a zero-carbon-footprint, and providing drinking water and energy for the city from renewable resources!
