Buildings that comprise it
Sculpture Walk
Corridor that connects the artistic venues with the Bibliographic Unit, made up of six large abstract sculptures made in stone, metal and concrete by the artists: Helen Escobedo, Manuel Felguérez, Mathias Goeritz, Hersúa, Sebastián, Federico Silva.
Sculptural Space
The sculpture space is located next to the National Library, whose project was born from the proposal that the sculptor Federico Silva "Federico Silva (sculptor)") made in 1977 to the then coordinator of humanities, Dr. Jorge Carpizo, to carry out an interdisciplinary artistic work that would give impetus to sculpture that was lagging behind in the country. The original idea included the possibility of combining ecology and art, which is why seven university artists, researchers of aesthetic geometry, were selected to execute the work. The artists responsible for the work were Federico Silva, Manuel Felguérez, Helen Escobedo, Hersúa, Sebastián, Mathias Goeritz and Roberto Acuña, who sculpted the model that served as the basis for its full-scale construction. The guiding model of the project is based on the following schemes: reproduce the cosmic image of the pre-Hispanic world represented by a circle, whose perimeter was concentrated as a circle of 120 meters in diameter, composed of 64 giant reinforcements. The circumference area was made up of the immobile sea of lava in its natural state and around the circle it was decided to add a garden formed by the flora of the site.
The center of the sculptural space was inaugurated on April 23, 1979 and on one side a metal plaque was installed with the following reflection by José Vasconcelos:
Pointing towards the south of the space and crossing the Maestro Mario de la Cueva circuit, several sculptures created by the university artists responsible for the project are geometrically dispersed. Among the sculptural works that beautify this area are the following: The Serpents of Pedregal and Eight Rabbits, by Federico Silva; Ave two, from Hersúa; Coatl, by Helen Escobedo; Colotl, from Sebastian; Corona del Pedregal, by Mathias Goeritz and Variant of Kepler's key, by Manuel Felguérez.
The main nucleus of the University Cultural Center is centered on the main square, around which are the main enclosures that make up the architectural complex. The main access to the plaza is marked by a sculpture by Rufino Tamayo, which symbolizes the cultural contribution of the University, described in the inscription that the artist himself placed on the sculpture: The University, germ of humanism and wisdom.
Nezahualcóyotl Room
The concert hall, designed by architects Orso Núñez Ruiz Velasco and Arcadio Artis, consists of a concrete building made up of five overlapping floors in the shape of a horseshoe. Its morphology is symmetrical, similar to a pentagon. Its outer cover is made of concrete and at the top is the central vault. In the basement is the acoustic chamber, which consists of the space under the stage and which serves as a sound box, in addition to the engine room, the instrument storage room and an auxiliary rehearsal room.
In the basement are the dressing rooms, the press room, the ticket offices and the toilets for the public, as well as the administrative offices. The access floor is an area of 300 square meters with three entrances: one central and two lateral. The central entrance connects directly to the plaza and the side entrances to the parking areas, and cloakrooms are located on both sides of the lobby.
With respect to its acoustic design, the Nezahualcóyotl hall conforms to the non-traditional European model, rather following the examples of prestigious halls such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Usher in Edinburgh and Andrew in Glasgow. The modern character of the room consists of the arrangement of the stage, surrounded by seats. This composition, combined with the use of precious woods and an adequate distribution of space, have allowed the room to have excellent conditions for a clear perception of the music. It is currently considered one of the most important venues in Latin America.
The Nezahualcóyotl concert hall is the definitive headquarters of the UNAM Philharmonic Orchestra (OFUNAM), the oldest and most prestigious ensemble in Mexico. Since its inauguration on December 30, 1976, the concert hall opened a new perspective for the Philharmonic Orchestra, which found the right place for its 91 musicians to demonstrate their skills.
The Orchestra consists of an administrative director, an artistic director, 15 first violins, 14 second violins, 10 violas, 11 cellos, eight double basses, one piccolo, three flutes, two oboes, one English horn, two clarinets, one bass clarinet, one requinto, two bassoons, one contrabassoon, five horns, four trumpets, three trombones, one bass tuba, timpani, three percussions, a harp, a piano and celesta.
OFUNAM has received numerous guest conductors and has accompanied international soloists. Its special commemorative cycles and its regular season from September to July of the following year are famous. Their average number of presentations is 70 a year.
OFUNAM's tours and concerts in other university campuses and in the interior of the Republic, as well as in the Metropolitan area of Mexico City, also stand out.
Juan Ruiz de Alarcón Theater
Also designed by architect Orso Núñez Ruiz Velasco, it is intended for high-quality histrionic representation, the Juan Ruiz de Alarcón theater is equipped with the characteristics of a professional theater. Its capacity is for 430 spectators comfortably installed in their seats and it has an Italian stage separated by an eight-meter-high proscenium; Its body of seats opens in the shape of a fan between two concrete walls.[4].
The theater stage has a completely removable floor and a 23-meter-high loom, equipped with 40 counterbalanced shafts and rear and side unwrapping areas, which allows scenery changes using French carts. Another feature of the stage is that the first rows of seats can be removed so that the proscenium becomes larger.
The theater sound system consists of a professional audio control console with 10 microphone input channels and four output channels, two of which are used to provide audience sound and the other two to produce special effects. It also has an acoustic amplification system with high-efficiency horns and trumpets, as well as sound equipment for special effects.
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Forum
The Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz forum, another work by Architect Orso Núñez Ruiz Velasco, is a venue designed particularly for experimental theatrical expression and with capacity for 250 spectators. The forum is a vertical prism with four floors, designed to be adapted to different forms of spatial relationship between show and audience, which is why the areas dedicated to performance and spectators are not well delimited so that the director of the play can adapt it as best suits him. In this way, taking advantage of the characteristics of the forum, the venue can be adapted according to the needs of the play and function like any type of theater.[5].
To guarantee the effectiveness of this scenic versatility, the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz forum is equipped with a lighting system similar to that of a movie theater.
The Juan Ruiz de Alarcón Theater and the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz forum present shows and artistic performances of the highest quality and of all genres of universal dramaturgy of all time.
Miguel Covarrubias Room
This room is intended for the presentation of the various artistic manifestations of dance, although due to its technical characteristics it can be considered as a theater that admits performances of various artistic genres, such as opera, drama, musical theater and music auditions.[6].
The Miguel Covarrubias room by Architect Orso Núñez Ruiz Velasco has an architectural model of an Italian-style theater, whose room resembles a horseshoe with side corridors that facilitate the free movement of spectators through its interior and towards the lobby.
The hall consists of two floors, has a total capacity of 724 spectators and its stage occupies an area of 867 square meters, very adaptable because it can be expanded in its central part. It also has a pit to house the orchestra when it comes to performances of dance, music, theater and opera. When the stage is extended, it covers the pit and offers a greater surface area for artistic exercises.
Carlos Chavez Room
Adjacent to the Miguel Covarrubias room is the Carlos Chávez room, by the same architect, both connected by a common mezzanine. The Carlos Chávez hall is a small venue equipped with all the acoustic requirements for chamber music auditions.[7] Its capacity is 163 spectators, distributed in two sections divided by a hallway, each of which has 80 seats arranged in staggered rows. The conditions of the hall, despite its small size, are ideal for enjoying concerts by a chamber orchestra, given that its acoustics are of the best quality, which has made it one of the best of its kind in the country, a fact that has been demonstrated by the quality of its auditions and by having been (in 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987 and 1988) the venue that initiated artistic activities. of the Cervantino International Festival in Mexico City.
Like the rest of the CCU, the Carlos Chávez room is built in accordance with the architectural model that has governed the rest of the complex.
Cinema José Revueltas and Julio Bracho
A central covered lobby connects the Miguel Covarrubias and Carlos Chávez theaters with the José Revueltas and Julio Bracho cinemas. The movie theaters are two adjoining venues built with the purpose of exhibiting the most select products of the seventh art, although it is not restricted only to the projection of artistic films, but also to representative films of national and international cinematography, as well as those produced by experimental cinema.
Years later, the cinemas were renovated by opening a new one made by the same architect of the first, Orso Núñez Ruiz Velasco, Carlos Monsiváis.
The Julio Bracho, José Revueltas and Carlos Monsiváis rooms have capacity for 161, 60 and 54 spectators, respectively, and are equipped with modern projectors for 35 and 16 mm tapes, stereophonic sound and unified control through a single booth.
The theaters represented the avant-garde in the exhibition of quality cinema since their inauguration in the early eighties and since then they have intensified their work in favor of cinematographic dissemination; being venues for the International Film Festival.
University Theater Center
Since its foundation, on June 18, 1962, designed by Orso Núñez Ruiz Velasco, the University Theater Center (CUT) has been directed by the most prominent figures of Mexican theater: Héctor Azar, Héctor Mendoza (National Prize for Sciences and Arts), Luis de Tavira (National Prize for Sciences and Arts), Ludwik Margules (National Prize for Sciences and Arts), José Caballero, Raúl Quintanilla, Raúl Zermeño, José Ramón Enríquez Antonio Crestani and Mario Espinosa.
The CUT, due to its history and its location in the context of teaching Mexican theater, has achieved prominence in the training of actors, playwrights, set designers and stage directors.
Its status as a University Extension Center gives it the ability to permanently review its academic curricular map, which allows it to establish lines of congruence with the theatrical reality of our country and, thus, be able to respond to the needs and demands of Mexican theater in constant construction, transformation and renewal of its own language and identity.
Its infrastructure, which includes two theaters equipped with new generation technology intended for the exclusive use of its students, its study plans and programs, its teaching staff, as well as the possibility of offering personalized attention to its students, allow the CUT to provide the conditions for the training of professional actors with a broad ethical sense, scenic vision, dramaturgy, scenography, production, theatrical research and teaching.
University Museum of Contemporary Art (MUAC)
It is conceived with the expectation of giving birth to an avant-garde museum institution that promotes the approach to works and languages of current visual culture, from various perspectives, while systematically forming a collection of contemporary art of the UNAM, consisting of works of art that were created from 1952 onwards and that have transcended and represented in contemporary art.
It is a space that complements the cultural offering that the University Cultural Center has provided to Mexican society since 1976. The architectural project was led by the Mexican architect Teodoro González de León, it began in 2006 and concluded in 2008. The land where the museum was built was a parking lot and the building has a total of 13,947 square meters of construction on two levels.
With current visual arts exhibitions it will make it possible to create an area of multidisciplinary convergence.
The museum is an example of innovative contemporary architecture, and its bold volumes and shapes will house exhibition rooms of various dimensions, with the possibility of multimedia assembly and a darkening system, it also has auditory areas, a multipurpose room, workshops, large warehouses, a cafeteria, public services and underground parking.