Foro Boca / Rojkind Arquitectos

Architects: Rojkind Arquitectos
Area: 5410 m²
Year: 2017
Photographs: Jaime Navarro
Manufacturers: Cemex, Herman Miller
Acoustic Consultant: Auerbach Pollock Friedlander, Seamonk, Akustics
Lighting Consultant: Artec 3, Maurici Ginés, Jose Cardona, Ana Ayala, Carmen Valle, Itzae Cardeña
Structural Engineer: EMR SA, Enrique Martínez, Sergio Pérez, Martín S. López, Elsa Serrano, Miguel Ángel Allende, José Mejía, Kevin Cruz, José Martínez Vargas
MEP: Gralte S.C., Jorge Romero, Daniel Velázquez, Ismael Hernández, Mario Navarro, Germán Muñóz
Builder: Ingenieria y Desarrollo Arquitectónico S.A. de C.V.
Media: Lorena García Cordero, Dinorah Martínez Schulte.
Akustics Team: Octavio Barragán, Cristian Ezcurdia ,Hugo Garduño
Auerbach Pollock Team: Friedlander, Len Auerbach, Kevin MacPhearson, Tom Neville
Seamonk Team: Lincoln Aguirre, Itzel Alba, Cristian Ezcurdia, Jorge Romero
Architect-in-charge: Michel Rojkind
Architectural Project: Agustín Pereyra, Arturo Ortíz, Adrián Aguilar, Sandra Carvajal, Fernanda Casar, Salvador Cortéz, Diego Díaz Lezama, Paulina Elizalde, Rubén García, Daniel Gaytán, Paulina Goycoolea, Jorge González R., Alfredo Hernández, Laura Hernández, Pablo Herrera, Julieta Inclán, Carsten Lemme Andrea León, Félix Mendoza, Gerardo Salinas, Julio Serralde, Alfonso Paz, Cynthia Ponce, Víctor Velázquez, Ditter Vergara, Beatriz Zavala.
Acoustics Team: Octavio Barragán, Cristian Ezcurdia, Hugo Garduño
City: Boca del Río
Country: Mexico

Foro Boca, designed by Rojkind Arquitectos, revitalizes Boca del Río, Veracruz, as a cultural hub and home to the Boca del Río Philharmonic Orchestra. Supporting orchestral concerts, chamber music, and the “Orquestando Armonía” program for low-income children, the forum fosters cultural and social development. Part of an urban renewal plan, it is located at the river estuary, linking the city center and coastal avenue. Inspired by breakwater ripraps, the exposed concrete building houses a 966-seat concert hall for diverse performances and a 150-seat rehearsal hall. Facilities include rehearsal spaces, a recording studio, dressing rooms, offices, and a music library. Public areas feature a three-story vestibule, a terrace with river views, a restaurant, and platforms for smaller performances. An outdoor plaza extends into the breakwater, offering recreational spaces and a projection system for public engagement.

In recent years, the musical and cultural life of Boca del Río, Veracruz, has experienced significant growth. The formation of the Boca del Río Philharmonic Orchestra in 2014 has played a central role in this development, attracting a variety of musical expressions as well as local and international musicians, solidifying its position as the cultural heart of the city.

The Boca del Río Philharmonic Orchestra stands out as a unique institution not only in Mexico but globally. It operates through three main initiatives: an annual season of orchestral concerts, monthly chamber music performances, and an after-school social development program called “Orquestando Armonía.” This program focuses on providing choral and orchestral education to low-income children, fostering values and a sense of excellence within both the children and the broader community. The orchestra’s activities have successfully contributed to social and cultural development, highlighting the need for a dedicated venue to serve as the orchestra’s permanent home and support its programs.

Foro Boca is part of a broader master plan aimed at revitalizing a deteriorated urban area. It is situated at the river estuary, a location that not only lends its name to the locality but also holds a rich history and culinary tradition. The site is positioned next to the breakwater separating the river from the sea, at the end of Coastal Avenue Vicente Fox, where it intersects with Avenue Zamora, an area lined with local restaurants.

The location of Foro Boca is designed to connect the dynamics of the city’s central area with the coastal avenue, aiming to act as an urban catalyst that drives modernity in the region. The forum has facilitated the reconstruction and revitalization of the infrastructure and urban aesthetic of this part of the city. The building draws inspiration from the timeless form of the concrete riprap cubes in the nearby breakwater, adopting them as a reference and reinterpreting them in exposed concrete to create distinct volumetric spaces that house the concert hall. Inside, the concert hall showcases the expertise of both foreign and local specialists in acoustics, isoptics, and theatrical mechanics. It is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, positioning it as one of the most advanced concert halls in the country.

The architectural program includes a concert hall with a capacity of 966 seats, designed to host classical, traditional, and popular music performances, as well as shows featuring dance, theater, and cinema. Moreover, the forum features a rehearsal hall with a capacity for 150 spectators, which can also accommodate chamber concerts, floor theater productions, cinema screenings, and contemporary dance performances.

The Back of the House area of the forum is designed to primarily meet the needs of the philharmonic orchestra. It includes rehearsal halls for percussionists, pianists, and solo performers, along with a recording studio. The space also provides general changing rooms, as well as private changing rooms for directors, guest performers, and the orchestra’s conductor. These facilities are designed to support the orchestra’s daily routines while accommodating the requirements of other events, such as theater performances. Furthermore, the building features an office area and a musical library, enabling the forum to host workshops, courses, and various festivals.

The public area of the building includes a three-story-high vestibule that connects the floors and voids, providing access to the halls. The top floor features a terrace with views of the river and the sea. The building also houses a cafeteria and a restaurant. Furthermore, the platforms within the vestibule create spaces suitable for solo concerts, chamber music performances, dance shows, and contemporary theater plays.

Foro Boca creates a public space on its exterior, extending the access plaza into the breakwater area to form entertainment points and recreational spaces that enhance the public life surrounding the hall. An audio and visual projection system will be installed on the building’s interior facade, aiming to establish a social enclosure that further enriches the public sphere of the area.

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Project Location

Address: Blvd. Vicente Fox Quesada, Pescadores, 94290 Boca del Río, Veracruz, Mexico

Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.