This document summarizes a project analyzing data about Cholula's central square, or zocalo. It was conducted by students in Mexico over two weeks. They collected data on the zocalo's history, activities, functions, and orientation. The zocalo has been an important meeting place since 200 AD. Over time, the Spanish modified it with new buildings. Its importance gave rise to Cholula's social structure. The zocalo remains central to community life through events and as a gathering place.

1. Universidad de las Americas, Puebla
Master in Information Design
Cholula’s Zocalo
Walk Through
A visuailzation for some particular issues of Cholula’s zocalo
Janet Alvarez
Jaime Lasso
Nora Morales
Omar Sosa
Omar Valdiviezo
Methods of Visualization
Professor David Skopec
Autum 04

2. Contents
Introduction 3
Collection and analysis of data 4
History and background 4
Space and orientation 6
Function and purpose 7
Activities and uses 8
Transformation of data 9
into information
Visualizations 12
Conclusions 15
References 16

3. 3
Introduction
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 orientation
The 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.

4. 4
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
History and Background
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 1
Old map of Cholula

5. 5
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.
Governors and Priests
Novels and Merchants
Indian population
Zocalo
Figure 2
Radial chart of Cholula’s
Population density in relation poblation density
of the approximation to the zocalo around the Zocalo
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.
1513 1519 1535
Spanish Cortez arrives San Pedro Cholula
take Control to Chollolan. gets the City title
of Chollolan The Killing
XII
Arrival of Toltecas 1549 1646 XVII? 1921 1924 1947 1960 1978 1989
scaping fron Tula San Gabriel ¥s Casas Reales San Rafael 1855 Reconstruction Electric Pavimentation Park & Remodel Remodel
church. La "Portales" fountain Monument to of the Portal streetcar Boulevard 1969 Plaza de Armas Park
Plaza Mayor Santa Anna. First Remove Market
appears as a big evidence of a 15 and Boulevard
market day fair
1910 1950 2004
Celebration of First fair Annual Fair
the Independence as we know it
centennial
Figure 3
Historical events
Extructural evolution
Timeline of
Social events
Cholula’s Zocalo

6. 6
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 4
Map of Cholula’s
Zocalo nowadays

7. 7
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 1
Relationship
between areas
and functions

8. 8
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 5
Scheme of uses
of space at zocalo

9. 9
Transformation of Data
into 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. .

10. 10
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 6
Evolution of Zocalo’s
activities areas

11. 11
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 7
Abstract representation
of the variables

12. 12
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

13. 13
Esplanade’s view

14. 14
Garden’s view

15. 15
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.

16. 16
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.