Regional Museum “La Cacaotera”
The "La Cacaotera" Regional Museum, located within the Malecón intervention area of Villahermosa, aims to promote learning about cacao culture in the state of Tabasco, the largest producer of this good in Mexico. The project was undertaken after the demolition of the building that once housed the National Union of Cacao Producers and which had suffered severe structural damage.
The building's architecture incorporates the formal memory of its predecessor, but with a new program dedicated to showcasing the transformation of cacao into chocolate. It features an exhibition space that tells the story of cacao and its cultural impact, complemented by a workshop area where, through the use of grinding, roasting, and shelling machines (among others), the production processes are explained to the visitors.
The project's materiality is dominated by reinforced concrete with red pigment, visible in the structure, complemented by latticework and clay floors, glass, and iron. Endemic vegetation from the banks of the Grijalva River is also incorporated into this palette, integrating the project with its urban context.
