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All Mexico Mexico City National Center for the Arts (CENART)

National Center for the Arts (CENART)

This architectural wonder of Mexico City houses several art schools and national research centers.

Mexico City, Mexico

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linkogecko
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National School of Classic and Contemporary Dance.   gobierno cdmx
The Center’s main entrance.   Gobierno CDMX
Scultpures and other artwork adorn the Center.   gobierno cdmx
Ricardo Legorreta’s Torre de Investigaciones.   Gobierno cdmx
Stairs in CENART.   Gobierno CDMX
Dance and music recital in CENART.   Secretaria de Cultura Ciudad de Mexico/culturacdmx
The CENART’s gardens (very popular with locals on weekends).   Carolina L. Llano/gatoazul
The purple flowers of a jacaranda tree complement the architecture.   Mario Adalid/argofftv
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Constructed in 1994 to complement several of Mexico City's public art schools, the Centro Nacional de las Artes, or CENART is located in the city's mid-south region. Its design is patterned after a local version of modern minimalist architecture.

This technique, based on the early 20th-century art movement known as the Tapatía Architecture School, is characterized by bulky geometric features, airy interiors, and bright colors. This style is probably best exemplified by the work of Pritzker Prize-winning architect Luis Barragán, who taught at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Among his students was Ricardo Legorreta Vilchis, whose firm Legorreta Arquitectos designed a majority of CENART.

Often considered Barragán's successor, Legorreta used elements of his teacher's style, but modernized them and adapted them to a larger scale. Legorreta is considered responsible for the orange-and-purple research tower, as well as the Library of the Arts and a majority of the common areas. The glass and metal semi-cylinder of the National Drama School fell under the purview of Enrique Norten. Luis Vicente Flores was responsible for the conical National Contemporary and Classical Dance School. Teodoro González de León's brutalist influences are on full display in the Superior School of Music's architecture.

In between all these artistic institutions, CENART's gardens offer a respite of greenery for visitors and students. They also offer a chromatic complement to the bright pink, purple, and earth tones of the folkloric modernism of the buildings.

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Art Schools Architecture Design

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This center encompasses several schools, performance spaces, and galleries. Events are varied and it's open to the public for most of the day, every day. It's recommended to check the website before visiting to get an idea of the day's schedule.

CENART also houses the Cineteca de Las Artes. Opened in August 2023, this cinema is an offshoot of the Cineteca Nacional, located less than an hour's walk away.

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November 22, 2019

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  • http://legorretalegorreta.com/centro-nacional-de-las-artes-cenart/
National Center for the Arts (CENART)
79 Av. Río Churubusco
Mexico City, 04220
Mexico
19.356476, -99.140013
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

Parque Masayoshi Ohira (Masayoshi Ohira Park)

Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

The Ex-Votos of Churubusco

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miles away

National Museum of Interventions

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico

Places 180
Stories 17

Nearby Places

Parque Masayoshi Ohira (Masayoshi Ohira Park)

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miles away

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miles away

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Mexico City, Mexico

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Mexico City

Mexico City

Mexico

Places 180
Stories 17

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