Maxcanú Station in Mexico Brings a Sense of Place to Transit Design

Looping around the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, the Tren Maya is a 966-mile-long railway route that spans five states, connecting towns and cities, tourist destinations, historic Maya ruins and archaeological sites, jungle landscapes and sandy beaches. A multi-year project, the route features 34 stations (20 major and 14 smaller stops), which serve local passengers and visitors traveling across the region. One key stop is Maxcanú Station, designed by Gi21 Arquitectura.

Modern building with tall red columns, patterned brick panels, and arched roof; surrounded by palm trees and a dry, sandy landscape under a partly cloudy sky.

Photography by OHFA

The Mexico City–based firm conceived the 68,470-square-foot terminal as more than a utilitarian passenger-boarding facility: Gi21 co-founders Eduardo Ramírez Plata and Ximena Beltrán Plata describe it as a “transitional space that offers visitors a place for contemplation and rest.”

For Gi21, architecture begins with observing a place. The partners spent time in Maxcanú, roughly 40 miles west of Mérida, the capital of the Mexican state of Yucatán, before beginning the design. They said they wanted to “stand and watch everything, to visit the people and to see how they live.” Experiencing the nuances of sites—how the morning sun differs from the afternoon, the weather patterns, the vegetation, the surrounding architecture—informed a great deal of the end result.

A person walks along a curved sidewalk next to a modern building with tall red columns and decorative panels under a partly cloudy sky.

Photography by OHFA

A historic colonial town, Maxcanú is known for its jicama production, Maya ruins, cenotes, and the Iglesia de San Miguel Arcángel, which dates back to the 16th century and boasts a stunning ochre-toned exterior. To maintain visual connection to these surroundings, the station (one of two on the Tren Maya line designed by Gi21) was devised as a curved volume that provides access through multiple entry points and views to the exterior from any position inside.

Drawing on the ancient Maya city of Palenque in neighboring Chiapas, where vertical columns support horizontal platforms, the station translates that structural language into full-height plastered concrete brackets that frame entrances and guide circulation. The brackets also facilitate cross-ventilation and provide a system of sunshades to further control indoor temperatures.

A modern building with tall red columns and decorative panels stands under a partly cloudy blue sky, with street lamps and a sidewalk visible.

Photography by OHFA

The entire building is tinted a deep terracotta made using a natural dye extracted from cochineal insects. The pigmented hue is significant in Indigenous cultures and was inspired by the nearby church’s tone. The red is complemented by local tropical wood pivot doors, which can be left open during the day to enhance ventilation and easily closed at night when the station is not in use.

Above the doors are a series of lattice-like panels made from prefabricated concrete. The basket-weave detail of the panels references regional textile patterns while also increasing the amount of light and air that flow through the interior. A tighter weave pattern was used for panels on the platforms themselves, which provide shade and a sense of privacy and protection. In both scenarios, the interplay of light and shadow evokes the feeling of being under the canopy of the Maya Forest.

Covered train station platform with patterned wall on the right, yellow tactile paving, and train tracks on the left under a partly cloudy sky.

Photography by Pavelín

Classified as Category A infrastructure, the station is built on a shallow foundation and reinforced concrete footings, a decision made to contend with the site. During construction, archaeological remains and cenotes were discovered, requiring a sensitive building process and further fueling criticism of the larger Tren Maya project.

Collaborating with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and the Ministry of Environment (along with SEDENA and the Government of Mexico), the architects accommodated the limestone terrain and subterranean structures while also meeting all seismic, subsidence, and wind load requirements.

Spacious interior with patterned brick walls, wooden panels, glass partitions, and an exposed metal ceiling. Natural light enters through geometric brick screens.

Photography by Pavelín

Inside the station, programming is organized around a central atrium and includes ticket offices, lobbies, courtyards, and restrooms. An exposed beam-and-vault system reinforces the overall openness and helps minimize maintenance needs. Local travertine marble tiles line the floor, with the exposed metal framework painted a rich black for graphic contrast.

Respectful of its surroundings and providing much-needed infrastructure to the area, Maxcanú Station is not only a stop on the railway line, but also a destination in its own right.