A joint that tells a story. To the left: the newly reconstructed roof of the Nave Mayor of the Mercado de la Merced; to the right: where damage from a devastating fire in December 2019 didn’t undermine its structural integrity enough to warrant demolition. The result of this calculation is a stark contrast between the thin-shell concrete vaults of the original 1957 construction, their highly textured patina communicating seven decades of history, and the painstakingly executed replication of the original design by architects Enrique del Moral Domínguez and Hilario Galguera Torres, completed in 2022. This follows an even more sprawling construction project that lasted from 2013 to 2017, which saw the entire southern portion of the building, including its iconic glazed brick facade, rebuilt after an earlier blaze.
Very belatedly visited the topmost story of the Palacio de Bellas Artes yesterday (currently there’s a nice exhibition of Guillermo Zamora Serrano photos of Mario Pani projects). In a building brimming with remarkable art deco details, this moment struck me as somewhat out of place in its more understated industrial character. Not part of the original design, I assume — aluminum tubes bundled around columns that should hardly be necessary to support the frontal vault? — or never meant to be seen by the public, at any rate. Either way, I like it.
Update: Apparently part of the original design, thanks to @gualdo for clarifying.
