History of the buildings

GENERAL

With a history spanning since the viceregal period, the buildings that house Museo Amparo are the result of a natural growth leading to the incorporation of the neighboring houses in order to expand the exhibition galleries.

The last stage of construction, which began in 2010, involved the expansion of public, exhibition, and storage spaces to form the space that characterizes Museo Amparo today.

During these two decades of the twenty-first century, the building has been showcased on a global scale, along with all its implications: international architecture with the concept of architecture of integration in a historical context, contemporary museography and curatorship, and the conservation of the material and intangible elements of the past, featuring the most prestigious actors and authors at both national and international levels.

We invite you to learn more about the history of the buildings that make up Museo Amparo today.

The Museo Amparo building was part of a group of buildings that had different uses throughout time. Its history dates back to the 16th century when, in 1538, the first hospital in the city of Puebla was founded, called San Juan de Letrán, known as "El Hospitalito".

Around 1642, Bishop Juan de Palafox y Mendoza requested that the sick be transferred to another hospital. The building and the annexes, which included the orchard and an undeveloped lot, were repurposed to house several schools, such as the School for Girls devoted to the Immaculate Conception, and a shelter for married or widowed women.

Likewise, its walls saw the construction of a priests' house, an old people's home and private residences. Since 1871, part of the building was the home of Vicente Espinosa Bandini, grandfather of Manuel Espinosa Yglesias, founder of Museo Amparo.

1991 Buildings

Update

The architectural updating of the Amparo Museum consisted of renovating areas and building new spaces while preserving the building's original layout. Planned in three stages, the project was carried out by TEN Arquitectos under the direction of Enrique Norten.

First stage

In February 2013, the first stage of the renovation was completed. New indoor spaces were created, and other strategies were implemented, providing better services and optimizing the spaces used for temporary exhibitions.

Neutrality was achieved through the materials and finishes, and historic buildings were given new value through greater spatial fluidity.

Results:

Renovation of temporary exhibition galleries
Update of the Library
Modernization of the Auditorium
Lecture rooms
Optimal facilities for safekeeping of work
Greater capacity in spaces for educational activities
Store
Terrace with panoramic views
Café
Access to the Viceregal and 19th Century Art Galleries through the Lobby, a central element of connection and distribution within the different areas

Adaptation of the roofs to establish a new relationship with the urban landscape and the skyline of the Historic Center of Puebla, rethinking the relationship of the building within its context
Greater use of natural light
Optimal access for people with disabilities

Second stage:

This phase of the project, which was opened to the public in December 2013, consisted of the reopening of 1,848 square meters of space for temporary exhibitions, equipped according to international exhibition parameters that allow projects of the most diverse types and origins to be received. Service areas for visitors with optimal functionality were also brought in.

Third stage:

The third stage, which opened in April 2015, updated the galleries and the museographic discourse of the Permanent Collection of Pre-Colombian Art, located in an area of 1,285 square meters. Upon completion of the project, the Museum expanded its public, exhibition and storage spaces by nearly 3,000 square meters and has a total area of almost 9,000 square meters.

With this architectural update, Museo Amparo reaffirms its position as a cultural center of reference in our country, both for the importance of its permanent collection and temporary exhibitions, as well as for its buildings and facilities, and for the program of cultural and educational activities it provides to the community.

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