Cholula’s ZocaloWalk Through

Janet Alvarez

Jaime Lasso

Nora Morales

Omar Sosa

Omar Valdiviezo

Methods of Visualization

Professor David Skopec

Autum 04

Universidad de las Americas, Puebla

Master in Information Design

A visuailzation for some particular issues of Cholula’s zocalo

Contents

Introduction

Collection and analysis of data History and background Space and orientation Function and purpose Activities and uses

Transformation of datainto information

Visualizations

Conclusions

References

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Introduction3

This project was done for the “Methods of visualisation” class at the Master of information Design in the Universidad de las Americas, Puebla. It was developed in a period of two weeks and it is an exercise about Cholula’s Zocalo. Cholula is one of the most antiques cities in México and the Zocalo is a central square where people visit and interact. The begining of the project started with 4 groups: North, South, East and West, that were given the task of collecting observations regarding four general aspects:- History and Backgrounds- Activities and Users- Function and Purpose- Environment and orientationThe collection of information included a lot of materials, photographs, videos, sketches, and involved a lot of different sources, interviews with specialized people, visitors, journals and books.We found a lot of topics and information to share. then, we divided again in 2 groups and synthesize the information selected a relevant topic and transformed it, so it would be understandable and clear in order to put it back at the zocalo utilizing very simple materials taken from there. We feel this was a new way to visualize information and in a way we are sharing this walk with you come with us in a walk trough Cholula’s Zocalo.

Collection and Analysis of Data

The data was collected and categorized by four groups, each of one focusing on some special issue about Cholula’s Zocalo. The four categories which data were classified are:! History and Background! Space and Orientation! Function and Purpose! Activities and Uses

This category is concerned with data related to the origin of Cholula’s Zocalo and its changes through history.The Cholula’s Zocalo has been existed since year 200 A. C. It was employee by the natives as meeting point and to commerce with other near ethnic groups. Nevertheless, it was until 1519 that Spain conquered Cholula that they decided to modify this area, building a Convent and the Government Palace, and modifying the arcades known as “Chialinco” (area of rest of the warriors). See figure 1.

Figure 1Old map of Cholula

History and Background

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The importance of the Zocalo through history of Cholula gave origin to a social structure of its inhabitants. The governors and priests lived near Zocalo; followed of nobles and bourgeois. The most moved away Zocalo was the natives. See figure 2.

As the natives were forced to attend the church all Sundays (day of rest for the Catholics) and the Church is located in Zocalo, It presented an opportunity to the natives to continue with their custom of use the Zocalo like meeting point. Through history several events have happened that have defined the functionality of Zocalo in relation with the inhabitants of Cholula. See figure 3.

Zocalo

Population density in relationof the approximation to the zocalo

Governors and Priests

Indian populationNovels and Merchants

Figure 2Radial chart of Cholula’spoblation density around the Zocalo

Figure 3Timeline of Cholula’s Zocalo

XII

Arrival of Toltecas

scaping fron Tula

1519

Cortez arrives

to Chollolan.

The Killing

1513

Spanish

take Control

of Chollolan

1535

San Pedro Cholula

gets the City title

San Gabriel ¥s

church. La

Plaza Mayor

appears as a big

market

15491855

1921

1950

1969

19891646

Casas Reales

"Portales" Monument to

Santa Anna. First

evidence of a 15

day fair

XVII?

1910

1947 1960 1978San Rafael

fountain

Celebration of

the Independence

centennial

Reconstruction

of the Portal

Pavimentation

First fair

as we know it

2004

Annual Fair

Park &

Boulevard

Remove Market

and Boulevard

Remodel

Plaza de Armas

Remodel

Park

1924

Electric

streetcar

Historical events

Extructural evolution

Social events

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Space and Orientation The purpose of this category is to collect spatial data about real measures of Cholula’s Zocalo and its relations with some other buildings around.First, the main areas of Zocalo were identified and we identify them with a name. Later, the measures were taken from each one of these areas and did a map. Finally, the main buildings around Zocalo were located and annexed to the map.

Figure 4Map of Cholula’sZocalo nowadays

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Function and Purpose In this category the data collected was about the principal functions of Cholula´s Zocalo nowadays.Here some aspects were researched about the function and purpose of the Cholula’s Zocalo. The main purpose of the Zocalo is to serve like a meeting point, that’s why we can find the cathedral, the headquarters, monuments, commerce and entertainment. Also, it is found that functions are located in some Zocalo’s specific areas and they change depending the day of the year. Next it’s presented a table that shows the relation between identified areas and detected functions at Zocalo.

Table 1Relationshipbetween areasand functions

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Activities and Uses Data related to this category is about the activities of Cholula’s inhabitants at Zocalo.People visit Cholula’s Zocalo in three different ways: they pass through it, they use it as a meeting point, and they go there to wonder around and have fun. People do multiple activities, the diagram below trace interactions of people, activities objects and places.

Also, we can detect that certain kind of places (see figure 5) are related to activities. :Relaxation use: To rest, to relax, to watch squirrels, to breath some fresh air, to eat …Commercial use: To sell, to buy, to hang products, to make business…Visitor use: To lock bikes, to wonder, leave pets, to watch people …Maintenance use: to lock garbage cans, to serve, to protect …

Figure 5Scheme of usesof space at zocalo

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Transformation of Datainto Information

The model that we use to make the final visualization represents the relation between functions, areas and activities throw Cholula’s History. We decided to represent the information of 50’s, 80’s and the actual decade, because there is a lot of information about Cholula’s events (photos, books, pictures, etc.). We have to identified where were located the main areas in relation with the actual space and orientation of Zocalo, and to establish the relation between areas and functions of these times. .

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After that, we have to research about the activities more important to people of each decade and classified them according the functions that we founded. See figure 6.

Figure 6Evolution of Zocalo’sactivities areas

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So, in the visualization that is proposed it can be found four variables:Function. This variable corresponds to the particular function had. There are four shapes (values), one per function:!Heart shape - Entertainment.!Shrek head - Political.!Dolphin - Ecological.!Round Balloon - Economical.Year. The specific year that is visualized to correspond with the high of ropes for each groups of balloons.! The shorter high is assigned to the 50’s decade.! The medium high is to the 80’s.! The higher ropes are to nowadays.Spot. Each spot at zocalo represents the centroid of the particular area where some activities (related to a function) took place. Importance. The amount of balloons is directly proportional to the importance of activities for people that lived in some particular age.

Figure 7Abstract representationof the variables

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Visualizations

To express this idea it was decided to make a visualization model using the real zocalo, but it is noticed that the zocalo is perceive in different ways depending of the point of view. So three view points are presented.

Pyramid’s view

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Esplanade’s view

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Garden’s view

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Conclusions

The joined data that was collected from the original teams implied that presented visualization was rich in its own explanation. It was detected the great amount of data obtained from observational methods needed a categorization and discrimination for the design of final visualization. Four very abstract variables appeared at the same time in it, all of them represented in physical form, so a experience design was created to cholula’s zocalo visitors. It is shown that is possible to design such experience using elements that can be found at zocalo.

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References

GONZALEZ, L. “Cholula, un estudio socio-economico regional” Cholula UNAM, 1972.MARQUEZ, I. “El Toltecayotl de Tollan – Cholollan” Santa Catarina Mártir UDLA, 1983.WALLES, L.M. “Cholula” Puebla CAJICA, 1971.Cholula. http://www.ipsonet.org/cholula/ Last visit September 6th, 2004.

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