Mexican studio Colectivo C733 has created a stunning square-shaped pedestrian pier that elegantly floats above a coastal lake in Bacalar, Mexico. This innovative structure serves as an aquatic exhibit, safeguarding the area from the encroachment of urban development and human interference.
Completed in January 2023, the Ecoparque Bacalar features a graceful boardwalk that spans 20,451 square feet (1,900 square meters) across a sprawling 17-acre (70,000-square-meter) site. Nestled within the Bacalar Lagoon in Quintana Roo, this region boasts the world’s largest freshwater bacterial reef and living stromatolites, a remarkable evolutionary gem that imbues the water with its striking teal hue. The shoreline is home to one of Bacalar’s last remaining mangroves, a vital ecosystem threatened by urban expansion.
The open-air pier, stretching 2,625 feet (800 meters) in length, is designed in a square shape, offering panoramic views in every direction while varying in height to preserve the mangroves and allow visitors to glide gracefully over the water. During the day, the pier’s slope casts a long shadow across the shimmering surface of the lake.
Constructed from local wood, the efficient structural system serves as a column, beam, and foundation simultaneously. Visitors are guided along winding pathways from the street, arriving at the center of the western side, where essential facilities such as restrooms and a research laboratory are seamlessly integrated into the pier’s robust design. Four small pavilions provide the only enclosed spaces.
The remainder of the pier remains flat and open to the elements, featuring guardrails where necessary, while embracing the surrounding landscape and utilizing the treeline for natural shade whenever possible.
The studio explained that the initiative minimizes constructed areas, enhancing both the strategic approach and the natural systems of the site. Rather than obstructing the scenery or endangering the ecosystem, the team chose to integrate the museum exhibit along the pathway, etching a timeline of the region’s biodiversity into the wood, encouraging visitors to connect with the surroundings.
The landscape design addresses water pollution by utilizing natural filtration systems, depressions, rain gardens, and restoring damaged mangroves, while the museum exhibit promotes awareness of the area’s distinctive biodiversity, the studio added.