Biblioteca Vasconcelos, also known as the ''Megabiblioteca'' by the press, is a library in the
Buenavista neighborhood of
Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
. It is dedicated to
José Vasconcelos
José Vasconcelos Calderón (28 February 1882 – 30 June 1959), called the "cultural " of the Mexican Revolution, was an important Mexicans, Mexican writer, philosopher, and politician. He is one of the most influential and controversial pers ...
, the philosopher and former president of the
National Library of Mexico
The National Library of Mexico () is located in University City of Mexico, Ciudad Universitaria, the main campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City. It was first established on November 30, 1867.
As a national ...
. The library is spread across 38,000 square metres (409,000 sq ft), and had an initial planned cost of 954 million
pesos (roughly US$98 million). The
Congress of Mexico
A congress is a formal meeting of the Representative democracy, representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political party, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle Engl ...
proposed plans to reduce the budget of 2006 that included cuts for all three branches of government, but the
National Action Party (PAN) presented an alternate budget that preserved funds for
Enciclomedia and the Vasconcelos Library.
The library is located in the
Cuauhtémoc
Cuauhtémoc (, ), also known as Cuauhtemotzín, Guatimozín, or Guatémoc, was the Aztec ruler ('' tlatoani'') of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521, and the last Aztec Emperor. The name Cuauhtemōc means "one who has descended like an eagle", an ...
borough, adjacent to the
Buenavista railway station, where the
Metro,
suburban train, and
Metrobús meet. It is adorned by several sculptures by Mexican artists, including
Gabriel Orozco's ''Ballena'' (''Whale''), prominently located at the centre of the building.
History
Then-President of Mexico
Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada (; born 2 July 1942) is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 62nd president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006. After campaigning as a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist, Fox was elected president on the Nat ...
inaugurated the library on 16 May 2006, and stated that this was one of the most advanced constructions of the 21st century, and that it would be spoken of throughout the world. This inauguration took place a week before the deadline the president had to promote his accomplishments before the 2006 presidential election.
The library had to close in March 2007 due to construction defects.
The
Superior Auditor of the Federation detected 36 construction irregularities and issued 13 motions of responsibility for public servants of the federal government.
Among the irregularities found was the misplacement of marble blocks at a cost of 15 million pesos (roughly 1.4 million dollars).
During
Calderón's administration, efforts to restore it continued with a further investment of 32 million pesos (roughly US$3 million).
It was reopened to the public in November 2008 after 22 months.
Architecture
The winning proposal for the library was designed by the Mexican architects
Alberto Kalach and
Juan Palomar. Lily Carr, writing in 2021 noted, "the structure’s cavernous, hollowed-out interior of an ossified matrix of suspended, expandable shelves presents the project as an awe-inspiring, chill-inducing spectacular that immerses the first-time visitor in the architects’ vision of a library as a container, or ‘ark, a carrier of human knowledge."
[Carr, Lily 2018.]
Revisit: Biblioteca Vasconcelos
''Architectural Review''. (January 7, 2021).
See also
*
List of libraries in Mexico
References
External links
*
kalach.com
{{Authority control
2006 establishments in Mexico
Education in Mexico City
Libraries established in 2006
Libraries in Mexico City
Library buildings completed in 2006
Public libraries
Vicente Fox
José Vasconcelos