Macroplaza
Encyclopedia
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
or plaza
Plaza
Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...
located in the heart of the city of Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The Macroplaza was built in the early 1980s during the governorship of Alfonso Martínez Domínguez
Alfonso Martínez Domínguez
Alfonso Martínez Domínguez was a controversial Mexican politician affiliated to the Revolutionary Institutional Party...
. The construction of the Macroplaza required the demolition of several old buildings and houses including a famous movie theater.
The Macroplaza is presently the second largest plaza in the world. It has an extension of 400,000 square metres consisting of various monuments, smaller plazas and gardens.
One of the most iconic monuments of the city is the Faro del Comercio
Faro del Comercio
Faro del Comercio is a monument designed by the accomplished Mexican architect Luis Barragán and constructed in 1984 by architect Raúl Ferrera...
(Lighthouse of Commerce), a 70 meters tall modern lighthouse located in the same plaza, equipped with a green laser, that shot its light around the city at nights.
Landmarks of the Macroplaza
- Palacio de GobiernoPalacio de Gobierno (Nuevo León)The Palacio de Gobierno is the name given to the neoclassical construction located in the northernmost point of the Macroplaza in Monterrey, the capital city of the Mexican state of Nuevo León. The Palacio de Gobierno is the building where the office of the governor is located....
, a neoclassical construction where the office of the governorGovernor of Nuevo LeónThe Mexican state of Nuevo León has been governed by more than a hundred individuals in its history, who have had various titles and degrees of responsibility depending on the prevailing political regime of the time....
is located. - Faro del ComercioFaro del ComercioFaro del Comercio is a monument designed by the accomplished Mexican architect Luis Barragán and constructed in 1984 by architect Raúl Ferrera...
, a modern monument designed by architect Luis BarragánLuis BarragánLuis Barragán Morfin was a Mexican architect. He was self-trained.-Early life:Educated as an engineer, he graduated from the Escuela Libre de Ingenieros in Guadalajara in 1923 and was self-trained as an architect.After graduation, he travelled through Spain, France , and...
. At nights it shoots a green laser around the city. - Explanada de los Heroes, a 19,400 square meters explanade located in front of the Palacio de Gobierno.
- Jardín Hundido (aka Parque Hundido), an almost hidden garden located in the heart of the Macroplaza featuring various monuments and a fountainFountainA fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
. A Speakers' CornerSpeakers' CornerA Speakers' Corner is an area where open-air public speaking, debate and discussion are allowed. The original and most noted is in the north-east corner of Hyde Park in London, United Kingdom. Speakers there may speak on any subject, as long as the police consider their speeches lawful, although...
, similar to that located in London's Hyde ParkHyde Park, LondonHyde Park is one of the largest parks in central London, United Kingdom, and one of the Royal Parks of London, famous for its Speakers' Corner.The park is divided in two by the Serpentine...
, is located in the Jardín Hundido. - Teatro de la Ciudad.
- Biblioteca Fray Servando Teresa de Mier, a public libraryPublic libraryA public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
. - Fuente de Neptuno (aka Fuente de la Vida), a bronce fountain representing the roman god NeptunePoseidonPoseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
. - Capilla de los Dulces Nombres, a 19th century roman catholic chapelChapelA chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
. - Plaza Zaragoza, the old city plaza located between the Cathedral and the original city hallCity hallIn local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
building (Currently the Museo Metropolitano de Monterrey). - Monterrey City Hall (aka el Palacio de Cristal), the headquarters of the MayorMunicipal president of MonterreyList of governors and municipal presidents of Monterrey...
of Monterrey. - Homenaje al Sol, a monument designed by Rufino TamayoRufino TamayoRufino Tamayo was a Mexican painter of Zapotec heritage, born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. Tamayo was active in the mid-20th century in Mexico and New York, painting figurative abstraction with surrealist influences....
located at the southernmost point of the Macroplaza.
The Macroplaza is surrounded by many buildings such as the Cathedral of Monterrey, the Latino tower (Edificio Latino), the Museum of Contemporary Art of Monterrey (MARCO), the Acero tower (Edificio Acero), The Metropolitan Museum (Museo Metropolitano de Monterrey) and the Museum of Mexican History but none of them are part of the Macroplaza.
Other nearby attractions
Other attractions within walking distance of the Macroplaza include the Morelos pedestrian street to the west, the Plaza de los 400 años, the Santa Lucia RiverwalkSanta Lucia Riverwalk
The Santa Lucia Riverwalk is an artificial river located in the Mexican city of Monterrey, Nuevo León.- History :Construction of the river began in 1996, but for economic reasons was stopped for nine years. In 2005, construction continued and was finished in 2007...
to the east as well as the Barrio Antiguo
Barrio Antiguo
Barrio Antiguo is located in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, next to the Governor's Palace and the Macroplaza. It is Monterrey's oldest area of town and was the heartbeat of cosmopolitan lifestyle, which included many hotels, museums, hypnotic dance clubs, international cuisine, unique architecture...
.
Transportation
The Macroplaza is accessible via Monterrey MetroMonterrey Metro
The Monterrey Metro is a fully grade-separated light rail, or metro, system in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. It is the newest of Mexico's metro systems, with operation beginning in 1991. As of October 2008, the system operated 40 high-floor electric trains along 31 km of routes...
, with the Zaragoza station
Zaragoza (Monterrey Metro)
The Zaragoza station is a station on Line 2 of the Monterrey Metro. It is located in Monterrey, on the heart of the Macroplaza. It was opened in 1994 and serves as the southern terminus of the line....
located in the centre of the Macroplaza, near the Fuente de Neptuno.
The Macroplaza also includes a parking lot area.