Mérida, Yucatán — All signs are pointing to an imminent grand opening at Palacio de la Música, but no date has been announced.
But this week, the pedestrian zone on the north side the building will open to the public, connecting the campus with the Teatro José Peón Contreras.
The Music Palace was built on the site of the former state legislature, surrounded by some of the Centro’s most iconic and historic sites. Contrasting against the neoclassic symphony hall and a 17th-century church, the modern building will house a museum, performance space and research center dedicated to the music of Mexico.
Gov. Rolando Zapata Bello has already made a supervisory visit to the building to verify its progress.
According to the program, once the path is opened, passersby will be able to slip between Calle 58 and Calle 60. But entry to the Palace will be restricted while the construction work is completed.
The wooden fence surrounding the site was removed a few weeks ago and roads, damaged from construction work, were repaired.
The pedestrian area, which will be finished with lighting and greenery, also ties in the Juan García Ponce gallery on Calle 60.
One of the novelties of the Palacio de la Música is its stone ashlar façade with a nanotechnology coating to repel moisture and graffiti.
Its overall clean and minimalist design is made possible due to the use of a Danish construction material called Danstek, which allows for fewer load-bearing columns. The Palacio is the first in Yucatán to use this technology, and only the second in the country after the International Baroque Museum in Puebla.
The grand opening is behind schedule. Originally slated to open by the end of 2017, the state announced in September that the complex was 90 percent complete but awaiting equipment that would allow it to open in March 2018.
The Palacio de la Música was built with a budget of 400 million pesos.
Source: Diario de Yucatán
