Travel Journal Seven: Restored History

We visit the Museo Regional de Cholula. Originally built in 1910 as the Hospital Psiquiátrico de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, the structure, set afoot the Great Pyramid of Cholula, was renovated and expanded last year by Alejandro Sánchez García Arquitectos.

An impressive build, the museum is a great play on the history-modernity dialogue at play in Cholula and, more broadly, the state of Puebla (now a hair above 6 million in population). Between the original stark while suite of buildings and the more recent gorgeous additions in red brick, dark grey tole, and glass, the complex leaves the visitor with an impression of respectful contemporaneity.

Overall, the Museo Regional de Cholula feels at once like it belongs among the ruins that surround it, yet resolutely looks ahead to the future. It is, I imagine, one of the better examples of restoration in the country. It also everything I had hoped for, and makes me incredibly excited to visit the DF and have an opportunity to see the best that Mexico has to offer in terms of modern architecture.

Inside the museum, there are various exhibitions about the history of Cholula, its volcanoes, as well as local arts and crafts. One of the most striking displays is the Desfile de Alebrijes, colourful Mexican folk art fantastical creatures.

Also notable is the gorgeous collection of tiles depicting the evolution of the Mexican golden eagle emblem.