José Vasconcelos Library
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Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
's Biblioteca Vasconcelos (''Vasconcelos Library''), also known as Biblioteca Vasconcelos or else ''la Biblioteca Vasconcelos'' or ''la Vasconcelos'' and labeled by the press as the ''Megabiblioteca'' ("megalibrary"), is a library in the downtown area of
Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
( Buenavista neighborhood,
Cuauhtémoc borough Cuauhtémoc (, ), also known as Cuauhtemotzín, Guatimozín, or Guatémoc, was the Aztec ruler (''tlatoani'') of Tenochtitlan from 1520 to 1521, making him the last Aztec Emperor. The name Cuauhtemōc means "one who has descended like an eagle" ...
). It was dedicated to
José Vasconcelos José Vasconcelos Calderón (28 February 1882 – 30 June 1959), called the "cultural " of the Mexican Revolution, was an important Mexican writer, philosopher, and politician. He is one of the most influential and controversial personalities ...
, the philosopher and former presidential candidate and former president of the
National Library of Mexico The National Library of Mexico ( es, Biblioteca Nacional de México) is located in 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 n ...
. 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 The Congress of the Union ( es, Congreso de la Unión, ), formally known as the General Congress of the United Mexican States (''Congreso General de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos''), is the legislature of the federal government of Mexico cons ...
proposed plans to reduce the budget of 2006 that included cuts for all three branches of government. National Action Party (PAN) presented an alternative budget that preserved funds for Enciclomedia and the Vasconcelos Library. The library is located in downtown Delegación Cuauhtémoc at the Buenavista train station where the metro,
suburban train Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are consi ...
, and metrobus meet. It is adorned by several sculptures by Mexican artists, including
Gabriel Orozco Gabriel Orozco (born April 27, 1962) is a Mexican artist. He gained his reputation in the early 1990s with his exploration of drawing, photography, sculpture and installation. In 1998, Francesco Bonami called Orozco "one of the most influentia ...
'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 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006. After campaigning as a right-wing populist, Fox was elected president on the ...
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 (of Jewish descent) architects Alberto Kalach and Juan Palomar.


See also

*
List of libraries in Mexico The following is list of libraries in Mexico. Libraries in Mexico * Biblioteca Benjamín Franklin * Biblioteca Central (UNAM) * * * * * * * * Biblioteca Palafoxiana * * Biblioteca Vasconcelos * Cervantine Library * * Francisco Xavi ...


References


External links

*
kalach.com
{{Coord, 19, 26, 50.79, N, 99, 9, 3.1, W, region:MX_type:landmark, display=title 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