Tepoztlán Market / Ramírez Suarez Arquitectos + Laboratorio Regional De Arquitectura

Architects: Ramírez Suarez Arquitectos + Laboratorio Regional De Arquitectura
Area: 5,754.28 m²
Year: 2024
Photography: Ana Paula Álvarez, Miguel Cobos
Lead Architect: Carlos Ramírez Suárez
Design Team: Carlos Ramírez Suárez, Alejandro Mosqueda García, Luis Carlos Orihuela Valle, Isaid Serrano Corona
Location: Tepoztlán, Morelos
Country: México

Tepoztlán Market commercial project designed by Ramírez Suarez Arquitectos and Laboratorio Regional de Arquitectura in Tepoztlán, Morelos, México, has strengthened the historic center by organizing informal commerce within a structured, accessible space that enhances tourism and public interaction. Completed in 2024 with support from the Pueblo Mágico initiative and developed through the Urban Improvement Program (PMU) by SEDATU, the market integrates modular steel architecture and regional materials to preserve local identity while revitalizing economic activity.

Tepoztlán market / ramírez suarez arquitectos + laboratorio regional de arquitectura

Ramírez Suarez Arquitectos and Laboratorio Regional de Arquitectura completed the design of the new municipal market in Tepoztlán to address the lack of organized commercial infrastructure in the town’s historic center. By relocating informal vendors to a dedicated structure, the project restores public space usage, safeguards the urban landscape, and reinforces the cultural and natural heritage of the area. Supported by the Pueblo Mágico of Tepoztlán, the intervention creates a welcoming, efficient environment that benefits both residents and visitors.

Developed within the framework of the Urban Improvement Program (PMU) initiated by the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development (SEDATU), the Tepoztlán Market occupies a rectangular plot adjacent to the southeastern corner of the Convent of the Nativity of Mary. The site faces three streets and features a prominent slope running from west to east and from south to north, guiding the multi-level configuration of the project.

The program distributes 195 commercial spaces across three levels, including a parking area, a supply area, two food market levels, and an upper-level viewpoint. The design approach maintains sensitivity to Tepoztlán’s urban scale while enhancing circulation, logistics, and security.

The primary access level forms a generous plaza that highlights the main entrance and features a pedestrian ramp, ensuring direct connectivity with the parking facilities. A structural system based on a modular grid of IPR-type steel profiles measuring 2.50 by 2.50 meters provides consistency across commercial units.

The metallic structure is painted in a reddish color to reference the traditional clay tones of the region. The project incorporates exposed brick walls and locally crafted wooden furniture to embed vernacular materiality within the architectural language.

Tepoztlán Market has evolved into a dynamic center for commerce and community, offering fresh produce, traditional food, and artisanal goods. The project revitalizes local economic practices while sustaining the traditions and architectural heritage that define Tepoztlán.