MACROPLAZA

The Macroplaza is the heart of the city of Monterrey. It consists of two plazas: the Gran Plaza to the north and the Plaza Zaragoza to the south. The Gran Plaza was built in the 1980s on the initiative of Governor Alfonso Martínez Domínguez, to relieve the congestion in the historic center. At that time, the work was the subject of much controversy, as many historic buildings were razed to open up this space. The Plaza Zaragoza, on the other hand, is much older since its origin dates back to the colonial era. On its eastern side is the Barrio Antiguo. The Macroplaza is a very dense space where historical buildings and contemporary creations are mixed. To the north is the Palacio de Gobierno: it houses a small museum that traces the history of the state of Nuevo León; to the south is the Palacio Municipal, a steel building that was completed in 1976. On the east side, going up the plaza, we find the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Cathedral, the Casino, the Theater and the Central Library. On the west side, to the south, we find the former Municipal Palace, which today houses the Museo Metropolitano de Monterrey, and the Palace of Justice. Several sculptures by renowned artists - among them Rufino Tamayo, Fernando Botero and Francisco Toledo - adorn the square. However, the most emblematic monument is the Faro del Comercio, a huge orange structure of about 70 m height, the work of the famous Mexican architect Luis Barragán.