2024 - Culture Center ”santos”

Xalapa, the capital of Veracruz, Mexico, is a city known for its rich history, culture, and natural beauty. Situated at an altitude of about 1,400 meters in the central mountainous region, Xalapa enjoys a temperate and humid climate that supports lush vegetation. With a population of around 500,000, it is a medium-sized city featuring diverse ethnic and social backgrounds. It hosts the Universidad Veracruzana, contributing to its significant student population and earning it the nickname “Athens Veracruzana” for its vibrant cultural and academic life.

The city boasts many museums, including the Xalapa Museum of Anthropology, which has a major collection of pre-Columbian art. It also has an active art scene with theatres, galleries, and cultural festivals throughout the year. Plans for a new cultural center highlight the city’s 14 nearby art galleries, leveraging its unique geographical, climatic, and cultural advantages. While Xalapa faces challenges in infrastructure and urban management due to its topography and climate, it has strong potential for sustainable growth with proper planning.

Santos Degollado and Gutiérrez Zamora streets are central to Xalapa’s cultural identity. Gutiérrez Zamora Street is lively with cultural events, theatres, and public art installations, while Santos Degollado Street is known for its bustling urban life with a mix of traditional and modern establishments, such as shops, cafes, restaurants, and art galleries, reflecting the city’s blend of history and contemporary culture.

The Cultural Center is envisioned as a space for social interaction and community engagement, fostering the artistic community by offering its facilities for free and accessible use by all. The proposed spaces are designed in a circular arrangement, creating an environment that focuses attention on user interaction.

Equipped with rooms and an auditorium specifically adapted for music, the Cultural Center facilitates a variety of activities such as workshops, concerts, and exhibitions, providing a place to showcase and share art. The center’s atmosphere symbolizes a self-sufficient cycle that generates not only physical spaces but also social ones. Here, culture is both promoted and exhibited in the very place where it is born, inviting the surrounding community to participate and eventually fostering a strong sense of belonging.

This center is intended to be a gathering place for people, coming to life through activities promoted by the community itself, creating a vibrant and dynamic space.

The materials to be used to give an interesting play of light to the cultural center include palm fiber, used in the hats from the southern region of Mexico. We opted for this material because it is an excellent thermal insulator and has a rich history in our country. To isolate noise in the music rooms, we chose a hemp fiber covering, placed between a solid concrete wall and another solid wall of sheet rock. These three components help prevent noise from passing through, making the music rooms pleasant for all students taking classes.

The distribution of the cultural center’s classrooms is planned to facilitate air circulation, ensuring ample natural light and connectivity among students. This center seeks to unite the entire community in Xalapa, bringing it closer to arts and culture.