Architects:Cosmos

Area:1400m²

Year:2025

Photographs:Cesar Béjar

Lead Architects:Gabriel Lopez Morton, Omar Vega

Category:Sports Field

City:Tequisquiapan

Country:Mexico

Text description provided by the architects. Ganadería Santillán is located in the heart of the Mexican Bajío, between Tequisquiapan and La Laja, a region with a deep ranching tradition and landscapes reminiscent of the paintings of José María Velasco. The commission consisted of designing a Plaza de Tientas and an Equestrian Training space for the ranch. From the outset, the project was conceived as an intervention integrated into the terrain not as an imposed structure, but as an extension of the landscape itself.

With this in mind, the chosen site was the angle formed by an existing natural slope, which was used to partially embed the ring into the land. The remaining portion of the arena is integrated through a gentle slope that extends the surrounding meadow's topography, allowing the ensemble to visually merge with its environment.

The main access to the plaza is provided by a stair that descends following the curvature of the arena. This path goes through a tunnel designed to protect two ancient mesquite trees and leads to a semi-sunken courtyard beneath their shade, where a small fountain offers a refreshing pause. From this courtyard, one enters the Palco de Ganaderos, from which the tienta is directed. This space features a wide opening that frames, in the foreground, the arena and, in the distance, the monumental silhouette of the Peña de Bernal. To one side lies a discreet wine cellar, to the other, access to the main burladero and the ring.

In addition to the main burladero, the arena includes three secondary burladeros with dedicated access stairs. All are aligned with the diameter of the enclosing wall, allowing for the fluid and safe movement of the animals during the event.

The cattle are guided from the toriles (subterranean holding pens) through an ingenious system of gates that enables agile and orderly handling. The organizing axis of this route is, in several sections, an underground tunnel. Horses, on the other hand, enter through the Patio de Caballos or Horse Courtyard, which connects to the adjacent stables and includes a resting wall equipped with anchored rings.

Throughout the project, the aim was to achieve a timeless architecture that felt fully incorporated with the surrounding land, almost as if it were a contemporary ruin, that would serve as an elegant and practical backdrop for the beauty of the animals and the traditions surrounding them.

Project gallery