Lecumberri contest

Archivo General de la Nación
Ciudad de México, México
Concurso ganado por AT103 con participación de tdm
July 2010

The restoration of the General Archive of the Nation is urgent. The first steps for this renovation are already taken: the architectural project for the new building is finished and the construction works are started. Besides the contest for the restoration and the project to convert the old building into a cultural centre was won by AT103 and tdm. This project means the improvement of the archive conditions and also the progress of the west side area of Mexico City.

It should not be necessary to stress the importance of preserving and safeguarding the millions of documents that protects the General Archive of the Nation and are part of the physical and cultural heritage of all Mexicans. The richness of our present and future also depends on how we address our past.

For several decades the General Archive of the Nation is sheltered in the old Palace of Lecumberri, built in 1886 and fitted out in 1976 to guard the archive. Currently, there is no doubt that conditions in both the building and its interior facilities have seriously endangered the national heritage.