Historic bandshell in Parque de las Americas is showing its age

The 73-year-old bandshell in Garcia Ginerés may be due for renovation. Photo: En Yucatán

Mérida, Yucatán — The bandshell in one of the city’s most beloved parks may be due for a renovation.

The City Council has sent experts to analyze the Parque de las Américas’ concha acustica, or acoustic shell, which contains depictions of Mayan musicians. The specialists will report their findings to the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH), the federal body that has a say on how historic structures are handled.

Parque de las Américas, “possibly the most beautiful park in Mérida,” according to Yucatán Today, is located on Avenida Colón, 10 minutes from the hotel zone. The park occupies four city blocks in Col. García Ginerés.

The Mayan-inspired bandshell was finished, along with the rest of the park, in 1945 after two years of construction. It anchors an open-air theater and a grand esplanade, which would also be restored. Its design references the thousand columns at Chichén Itzá.

The stage, showing signs of decay after over 70 years, is one of the official live entertainment settings for Mérida en Domingo, when nearby streets are closed to traffic to allow for food and crafts stalls.

The possible restoration is under Mauricio Jiménez Ramírez, who was in charge of the Monumento a la Patría project.

Laura María Sáenz Cetina, deputy director of Cultural Heritage of the Urban Development Directorate, said that the diagnosis began last week and will conclude the coming days.

Restoration involves preliminary cleaning, removal of oxidation, cables and any other items that aren’t part of the original design.

Workers will also look for the oldest layer of paint and attempt to match it for authenticity.

Source: Diario de Yucatán

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