"The Tuxtla Gutiérrez Children's Museum is an integral project with the aim of promoting values in Chiapas childhood through didactic activities; as well as promoting respect towards the natural and cultural biodiversity of the entity. In order to provide an interactive and free experience for children, all the rooms of the Museum were adopted by each of the Secretariats of the Government of the State of Chiapas, ensuring that all the exhibitions have a theme linked to each Institution. In this way, the Children's Museum seeks to be a sustainable and beneficial project for its locality, with a unique architecture, which is based on the re-interpretation of the orography of Chiapas, full of elevations and valleys".
Description of project by C Cúbica Arquitectos
Due to the situation and potential of the state of Chiapas, the task of carrying out a Children's Museum was complicated. However, the State Government supported the project due to a particular feature, the building would be a regional Children's Museum. That is to say, all its contents, teachings and didactic material would be strictly related to the culture of the state and would open its doors to all children visitors.
The Tuxtla Gutiérrez Children's Museum is conceived as a sustainable project, with a great social impact and with a unique architecture, which is based on the reinterpretation of the orography of Chiapas, full of elevations and valleys. The concept behind the project was the Sumidero Canyon, a natural landmark of Chiapas that is referenced with an irregular geometry, with folds that evoke the movement and majesty of the canyon.
The building is developed on two levels, with a plant in the shape of "U", integrating the center a park open to the public, serving as a community space to generate user interaction. On the ground floor is located: the access plaza, ticket office, auditorium with a capacity of 105 people, temporary rooms, cafeteria, employee area, machine rooms, warehouses, workshop, cloakroom and restrooms. On the top floor there are: permanent exhibition halls, 2 workshops, a terrace for events, administrative and health offices.
Each of the exhibition halls was adopted by a Secretariat of the State Government, guaranteeing the maintenance of the contents of the halls and their activities. A series of commercial premises were integrated into the building to ensure the maintenance of the building by renting these spaces.
Despite its unique aesthetics, the building reduced costs in all its aspects by making efficient use of national materials such as stone slabs of the region and sheet metal deployed. The use of eco-technologies was taken into account, such as rainwater collection and a double façade, which acts as an element of solar protection and at the same time allows the entry of lighting and natural ventilation, reducing energy consumption.
The Children's Museum is an integral project with the aim of promoting values in Chiapaneca's childhood through didactic activities; as well as promoting respect towards the natural and cultural biodiversity of the entity, seeking to create an experience in favor of meaningful learning.
