We find two kinds of figures in Panama City: the wealthy 'birds', which also represent the dominant colonial culture, and the marginalised 'cats' living on the edge of the city, which also represents the historical indigenous cultures. These two identities have their own culture, currency, and urban fabric. But they are not equal. The bird occupies most of the city's resources and has become the international identity of Panama City.
Developed on the banks of Rio Abajo in San Miguelito, this project explores how architecture can be a medium to reconnect and intermingle these two different identities and give visibility to marginalised communities.
The river is today the natural boundary between the territories of the cats and the birds. A range of pocket spaces of diverse scales that open on either side of the river become meeting points for cats and birds.
Various sports courts and civic programmes intensify the uses of some of these open spaces. The study found that there are sports courts in both areas, but they operate locally since they are not easily accessible from the opposite riverside. This project aims to create a public ground with a suite of sports courts in one of these pocket spaces in Rio Abajo where Cats and Birds can encounter spontaneously. Through sports, opportunities for mutual communication and understanding are created, crossing barriers, and forming mutual recognition and integrity.
