About
DONIS is an international studio of architecture, urbanism, research, industrial design, and art. The studio has won several international prizes, including the Dubai Frame, selected as the first-prize winner from 926 proposals in an international competition regulated by UNESCO-UIA; the first prize for the National Palace of Justice in Paris; and the winning design for a new landmark for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games at the City of London. DONIS designs, develops, and builds projects across a wide range of scales and programs, consistently pursuing innovative, sustainable, and socially engaged architecture. DONIS was founded by Fernando Donis, Mexican Dutch architect who received his Master’s degree from the Architectural Association in London through the Design Research Laboratory (DRL), where he studied under Patrik Schumacher and Brett Steele. He also received a PhD in Architecture from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), through the doctoral research program The City as a Project, led by with Pier Vittorio Aureli. His doctoral research, FRAME, is a five-chapter study of the archetype of the frame and its role in the architectural and urban history and culture of Mexico. Following his studies at the Architectural Association, Fernando Donis worked closely with Rem Koolhaas as an Associate at the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) for nine years, from 2001 to 2009. During this period, he was the main designer of the CCTV Headquarters in Beijing, among numerous other architectural projects and masterplans. He also collaborated with AMO, OMA’s research and design branch, contributing to research projects concerning the European Union. Fernando Donis has taught at the Berlage Institute and the Academy of Architecture in Rotterdam, as well as at Universidad Iberoamericana and Universidad Anáhuac in Mexico, integrating architectural research, design, and urbanism across multiple scales. His work and career have received international recognition. In 2011, CNN Expansión selected him as one of the 30 most promising and influential people in Mexico. In 2015, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs selected him as one of the country’s most creative Mexicans living abroad.
Macroparque Monterrey
Ubicación – Monterrey, México
Año – 2025
Programa – Parque Central
Superficie – 40 hectáreas
A principios de la década de 1980, Monterrey construyó la Macroplaza, un espacio público de 40 hectáreas y una de las plazas más grandes del mundo. Junto con la Asociación de Desarrolladores Inmobiliarios de la ciudad, nos planteamos una pregunta sencilla: dado el clima extremo de Monterrey, ¿no habría sido mejor construir un Macroparque?
La propuesta transforma la vasta plaza, expuesta al sol, en un parque urbano sombreado mediante la incorporación de módulos prefabricados de bancas-macetas (Macetasientos) que sostienen grandes árboles de copa, creando espacios públicos confortables durante todo el año. La intervención reimagina el centro cívico de la ciudad como un paisaje habitable, en lugar de una inmensa superficie de pavimento. Todo ello, simplemente mediante la incorporación de estas macetasientos prefabricadas concebidas como arte urbano.
Esta inversión pública también incentivaría la reactivación de la inversión privada, promoviendo la construcción de nuevas torres residenciales con abundante vegetación que contribuirían a refrescar el entorno urbano y atraer de nuevo a los habitantes hacia el centro de la ciudad.
El Macroparque se convertiría así en el corazón de una ciudad de 15 minutos, donde los principales museos de Monterrey, junto con la vivienda, el comercio, el gobierno y los servicios públicos, se encuentran a una distancia caminable.
