ARTS CENTER OF SAN LUIS POTOSI "CENTENNIAL" CREDITOR RESTORATION NATIONAL AWARD 2009 FROM INAH

After a series of academic meetings where they reviewed the work to get the Francisco de la Maza Prize awarded by the National Institute of Anthropology and History INAH Awards competition in 2009, the jury finds that the project considered by the Office Executive MASARQUITECTOS, by the architect Alejandro Sanchez, entitled: "Restoring the Arts Center San Luis Potosi" complied with all the features necessary to be eligible for this award as the best work of conservation of architectural and urban heritage.

Supervision of the work was done by Claudia Walz Caviezel archaeologist and architect Carlos Ramon Moreno, members of the San Luis Potosi INAH Center, participated CIASA builders, Industrial Park and CONYSUSAL Century, among others.

The award ceremony took place in the city of Mexico on December 7, 2009, in Jaime Torres Bodet Auditorium National Museum of Anthropology and History. During the formal ceremony, the general director of the Center for the Arts in San Luis Potosi Centennial Chenillo Deborah Alazraki, representing the state governor, Dr. Fernando Toranzo Fernández, and Secretary of Culture, Fernando Carrillo Jiménez engineer, received a recognition that National Institute of Anthropology and History awarded to the State Government.

Dr. Francisco Lopez Morales, director of World Heritage National Institute of Anthropology and History, said that the award Francisco de la Maza is a very important recognition not only for the architectural space, but for the state of San Luis Potosi: "It is a example of how you should perform the restoration, I hope other states do this type of action with their buildings. "

Lopez Morales said that the Centre for the Arts is an extraordinary building that prison became a prominent school of arts education. "This time we realize how things can be done well. My thanks to all involved for this wonderful project, "concluded the expert.

After this recognition, the next step is to register the Center for the Arts Reina Sofía Prize, one of the most important internationally.

Background

The project for the creation of the state penitentiary was conceived during the administration of General Carlos Díez Gutiérrez, and was in charge of the architect Carlos Suarez Fiallo, construction began in February 1884, and day 5 of this month, laid the first stone . The building was opened, still unfinished, on May 5, 1890 and was completed in 1904. Thus, since its inception and until March 1999, the building was used as a prison.

Years later, in late 2003, it was decided to transform the former prison into a center of art education. The call was a response of more than 20 projects, was won by the architect Alejandro Sanchez.

Thus, in 2004 began construction of the Center for the Arts in San Luis Potosi, whose inauguration was held on August 27, 2008, date in which, by order of President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa and by way of commemoration of the bicentenary of the beginning of the Independence of Mexico and the centenary of the beginning of the Mexican Revolution, was given the official name of the Arts Center San Luis Potosi Centennial.