Transforming Train Stations into Cultural Centers: Six Examples from Mexico

Abstract

Railway Stations still have deep roots in all the communities of Mexico, those stations also have very particular characteristics: they come from urban recycling projects, they are traditional location sites in every city - generally with an strategic location- and also represent spaces with an immense heritage: tangible and intangible. Re-purposing Railway Stations as Cultural Centers or museums simply recognizes their importance to their communities beyond its original use: transportation.

During the 20th century, train stations in Mexico - and around the world - had three destinations: demolition, re-adaptation into suburban metro or light rail lines, and transformation into cultural centers or museums. Reorienting railway stations as cultural spaces simply acknowledges their importance to their communities beyond their original use, transportation. This article presents six Mexican Railway Stations that have been transformed into cultural centers or museums.