Fundidora Park

Fundidora Park (''Parque Fundidora'' in Spanish) is an urban park located in the Mexican city of Monterrey, built in what once were the grounds of the Monterrey Foundry, the first steel and iron foundry in Latin America, and, for many years, the most important one in the region.

History and location

The Parque Fundidora is located inside the grounds formerly occupied by ''Fundidora Monterrey'', a steel foundry company of great importance to the economic development of the city during the 20th century. After its bankruptcy in 1986, Federal and State government showed interest in using the land to create a public park with the aim to preserve its history as well as being a center of culture, business, entertainment and ecological awareness for the people of the city. In 1988 the land was expropriated and the ''Fideicomiso Fundidora'' ''(Fundidora Trust)'' was created to manage it in an arrangement between the State government and private investment. Construction began in 1989, starting with the preservation of historically important buildings and structures within the foundry and the dismantling of the others, followed by the construction of the CINTERMEX convention center, Plaza Sesamo amusement park, a hotel and a cinematheque. Construction and rehabilitation continued during the rest of the 1990s.

The park opened on February 24, 2001, with an area of , receiving the additional name of ''Museum of Industrial Archaeology Site''. In 2010 the ''Paseo Santa Lucía'' development, consisting of a artificial river and accompanying river-walk, is incorporated to the park bringing it into its current state, with a total area of , of which are green space, 2 lakes, 23 fountains, 16 buildings, 27 large scale industrial structures and 127 pieces of steel-making machinery and tools of historical importance to the state of Nuevo Leon. There's also a long track surrounding the original section of the park.

Buildings

Monterrey Arena

Arena Monterrey is an indoor arena in Monterrey, Mexico. It is primarily used for concerts, shows and indoor sports like indoor soccer or basketball. It used to be the home arena of the Monterrey Fury indoor soccer team and the Fuerza Regia, a professional basketball team in the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional and the Monterrey La Raza, a team in the NISL.

The Arena Monterrey is owned by Publimax S.A. de C.V. (TV Azteca Northeast), part of the Avalanz Group, who owns 80% and by TV Azteca who owns 20%. The arena is 480,000 square feet (45,000 m) in size.

Cintermex

Parque Fiesta Aventuras

Parque Fiesta Aventuras (formerly Parque Plaza Sésamo) is a theme park located in the complex that originally opened in 1995. The park was operated under a license from Sesame Workshop, the owners of ''Sesame Street'' and ''Plaza Sésamo''.

On May 18, 2022, the park announced that it would rebrand as Parque Fiesta Aventuras for the 2022 season following a two-year period of closure. The reason for the rebranding was not classified by the park, but is likely that the owners had terminated the license to use the Plaza Sésamo branding and characters.

Auditorio Banamex

Auditorio Citibanamex (formerly named Auditorio Coca-Cola, Auditorio Fundidora and Auditorio Banamex) is an indoor amphitheatre with a capacity of 8,200.

The amphitheatre opened in 1994 with a sponsorship by The Coca-Cola Company, and it was the primary venue for concerts until the Arena Monterrey opened in 2003.

Centro de las Artes

Museo de Acero

Visualscapes

File:Torre de la Fundidora.jpg, post-industrial Tower
File:Steel mill Fundidora Park.jpg, Horno 3 - 3rd Blast Furnace
File:Parque Fundidora (2).jpg
File:Parque Fundidora.jpg, Green Field
File:Structure in Fundidora Park.jpg
File:Parque Fundidora (Monterrey).jpg, Horno 3 before restoration
File:Fountain in Parque Fundidora.jpg, Fountain
File:Steel Structure Fundidora Park.jpg, Steel Structure Fundidora Park
File:Antigua Nave Lewis Parque Fundidora.jpg, Expo Center @ the Old Lewis Building.
Host of the 2007 Universal Forum of Cultures

File:Cintermex1.jpg, Interior de CINTERMEX.
File:Fundidora2.jpg, Vista a la torre.
File:Fundidora3a.jpg, Vista a fundidora.
File:Fundidora4.jpg, Paseo Santa Lucía.
File:Fundidora6.jpg, Vista al Horno 3.
File:Fundidora7.jpg, Entrada al museo.
File:Fundidora9.jpg, Parque Fundidora.
File:Fundidora10.jpg, Chimeneas del parque y vista al Cerro de la Silla.
File:Fundidora13.jpg, El auditorio y el parque.
File:Fundidora14.jpg, Lago Fundidora.

Events

* The Champ Car World Series Grand Prix of Monterrey was held from 2001 to 2006 (see Tecate/Telmex Grand Prix of Monterrey).
* Fundidora Park has been the venue of UN and OEA summits.
* On February 26, 2006, the Fundidora Park raceway hosted the 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Mexico in A1 Grand Prix racing series.
* The park was the center of the 2007 Universal Forum of Cultures. For this event, an area of was joined to the 120 original hectares and also was joined to the city's Great Plaza by the Santa Lucia Riverwalk.
* The Pal Norte music fest and the Machaca Fest are hosted in the park every year.

Champ Car race history

A1GP race history

Lap records

See also

* List of preserved historic blast furnaces
* Enrique Abaroa Castellanos

References

External links

Fundidora Park official website

Mabe Fundidora Ice Rink: localized at Fundidora Park, Monterrey, Nuevo León

Centro de las Artes CONARTE

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Buildings and structures in Monterrey
Champ Car circuits
Parks in Mexico
A1 Grand Prix circuits
Tourist attractions in Monterrey
Blast furnaces