The La Cacaotera Regional Museum is located in Villahermosa, in the state of Tabasco, Mexico’s main cacao-producing region. Its purpose is to promote learning about and disseminating cacao culture, highlighting its historical, productive, and cultural value.
The project was spearheaded by the Ministry of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development (SEDATU) and was developed after the demolition of the old building that housed the National Union of Cacao Producers, which had suffered serious structural damage.
The new architecture incorporates the formal style of its predecessor, reinterpreting it through a revamped program focused on the process of transforming cacao into chocolate. The museum features an exhibition space that tells the story of cacao and its cultural impact, complemented by a workshop area where visitors can learn about production processes through the use of machinery such as mills, roasters, and hulling equipment, among others.
In terms of materiality, the project, which occupies a total area of 1,150 m², is characterized by the predominant use of red-pigmented concrete, visible in its structure, combined with latticework, clay, glass, and wrought iron elements. This palette is enriched with endemic vegetation from the banks of the Grijalva River, allowing the building to integrate seamlessly into its urban and natural surroundings.
The building’s construction system utilizes slabs with wooden beams and planks, supported by a painted steel structure, reinforcing the contemporary character of the complex while maintaining a connection to its historical and regional context.
Source: aruitecturaviva
