Abstract

CABRALES BARAJAS, Luis Felipe. Safeguarding a modern heritage in Guadalajara: the cement zoo. Invest. Geog [online]. 2019, n.100, e60020.  Epub Feb 27, 2020. ISSN 2448-7279.  https://doi.org/10.14350/rig.60020.

The experience of safeguarding a modern cultural heritage represented by a group of nine children’s cement games built in 1967 by the architect Fabián Medina in Morelos park located in the historic center of Guadalajara is addressed. As a previous step to this analysis, the study documents the evolution of the green area, and the old Alameda that originated in the mid-eighteenth century.

The proposed construction project of an outdoor auditorium on the said space represented a threat which, in 2017, triggered a social movement aimed at perpetuating the entire children’s site. Public power reacted positively, the game sculptures were preserved, rehabilitated and recognized as a component of Jalisco’s cultural heritage. This social action benefited the public space and constitutes a positive example of participatory democracy.

Keywords : Modern cultural heritage; playgrounds; social networks; Morelos Park; Guadalajara.