From Waste to Art
Roth Design and Parley Mexico’s Acropora Pavilion is inspired by an Emblematic yet endangered coral species which forms a crucial part of the mesoamerican reef
With its dense, branching arms, staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) forms an ideal habitat for marine creatures to gather, hide and explore in safety. Once widespread throughout southern Florida, the Caribbean Islands and the western Gulf of Mexico, it is now listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
This emblematic coral species served as the inspiration for Parley Mexico’s Waste to Art Pavilion, now open for visitors to Cozumel Island off the coast of Quintana Roo. It’s part of a wider Parley program, funded by NOAA, bringing cleanups, educational events and ocean outreach activities to the region – alongside a project with businesses in the tourism sector to eliminate and reduce the use of single-use plastics. As part of the education and outreach component, Parley collaborated with Roth Design, a renowned architecture and design firm, to create an urban art pavilion made from intercepted polystyrene and other plastic waste. Designed to serve as a gathering space for visitors like the real coral does for fish, the structure simulates an immersion into the branches of the Acropora coral colonies that ring the island.
“The ocean is the pulse of life, and as its guardians, we must shield its fragile balance from harm. we seek to awaken awareness and inspire action against the silent tide of plastic pollution – an echo of our shared responsibility to protect what sustains us”
Eduardo Roth — Founder, Roth Architecture
Cozumel lies along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which stretches from Isla Contoy south along the coasts of the Yucatán, Belize and Guatemala to the Bay Islands of Honduras. Acropora cervicornis is an emblematic species on the reef, but according to the Cozumel Reef Natural Protected Area (CONANP Cozumel), it has suffered up to a 70% loss due to coral bleaching.
“We’re losing corals at an accelerated rate,” explains Parley Mexico’s Alejandra Tellez, “and we need new ways of communicating this urgency to everyone. We shouldn't underestimate the influence art, education and inspiration can have to accelerate the changes we urgently need to shift away from the destructive path we’re on.”
The Acropora Pavilion is designed to communicate the tragic diminishment of this species – taking visitors through a series of images and key messages that generate awareness about plastic pollution, Parley's AIR Strategy, threats to the Mesoamerican Reef and key actions people can take to protect it.
“The oceans not only connect our ecosystems, they also connect all of us,” says Mariela Ramos of Parley Mexico. “By learning to care for the seas and reefs, we honor our deep relationship with them as a community. This pavilion is not just a space for art, but an invitation to reflect on how our actions impact the ocean and how we all share a responsibility to protect it.”
With the support of the municipal recycling center (CAMAR), Roth Design and Parley Mexico first carried out a prototyping phase, which included experimenting with different types of recovered plastics. Options included thermoforming plastic and the use of polystyrene (styrofoam) covered with a geotextile soaked in a clay-like material. This option was selected due to a diversity of benefits the technique offered: polystyrene is a material that cannot be recycled on the island (or in the region) so the municipality had a mountain of this material and didn’t know what to do with it. The build then began with a 10m long metal skeleton approximating the shape of staghorn coral, which was augmented with recovered styrofoam and sealed with layers of a recycled geotextile soaked in a mix of water, calcium oxide, upcycled plastic and cement. Once finished, each section was sealed with a white outer layer of paint to protect the inner body from the elements.
“One of the most rewarding outcomes of the project was not only the 15 square meter immersive artwork itself, but the collaboration between many key actors and the support the project was given,” explains Alejandra Tellez. “The local congress, the municipal and federal government, local artists, other NGOs – all had to say ‘yes’ to collaborating in equally important parts to make this project happen, which is one of its most valuable outcomes, working in a true collaborative manner.”
Located at a strategic location, in the heart of Cozumel’s central park and just steps away from the entrance to the island, the pavilion will welcome roughly 2.5 million visitors annually with an outreach message to generate awareness about the invaluable ecosystem they are entering and the need to preserve it.
“Being part of this transformative project has been a deeply meaningful experience,” adds Juan David Valencia of Roth Design. “Witnessing the dedication of the Cozumel community in building the Acropora pavilion has been profoundly moving. We hope this initiative inspires global action, fostering a shift away from plastics and towards greater environmental responsibility.”
Over the course of 2025, Parley Mexico and local collaborators will bring this unique space to life through year-long awareness and education activities that use art as a vehicle to engage the local community and visitors in a call to action to help safeguard the Mesoamerican Reef and oceans beyond.
For more on Parley Mexico, visit www.parley.tv/mexico
For more projects by Roth, visit www.roth-architecture.com
THANKS TO OUR PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES
Beyond educating and inspiring visitors, the Acropora Pavilion acts as a platform to promote and celebrate local businesses participating in the Parley AIR Tourism Program, which actively works to eliminate plastic from their operations. It also supports other local conservation and sustainability initiatives, fostering a community-wide commitment to environmental stewardship.
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