Rescue actions advance at the Peón Contreras Theater

Yucatán’s Ministries of Public Works (SOP) and Culture and the Arts (Sedeculta) reported that work is progressing to restore the infrastructure, furniture and heritage elements of the José Peón Contreras Theater, as part of the work plan announced last January by Governor Mauricio Vila for this historic venue.

The SOP indicated that work has already been carried out on the revision of the load center, tablets and voltage for the safe reestablishment of electric energy, the securing of the chandelier and technical studies of its structure, in addition to the reestablishment of energy in the areas that were not damaged, such is the case of the galleries that have already been rehabilitated.

Power was also restored on each level of the theater, that is to say, on the stage, the stage area and the four levels.

The SOP recalled that once the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) and the State Civil Protection Coordination (Procivy) concluded the process of releasing the building in mid-November, these actions were carried out.

Next Tuesday, a group of restoration experts will enter the main hall and lobby of the theater to identify, register and recover the heritage elements affected by the fire of last November 1st in this building, catalogued as a historic and artistic monument.

Work will be carried out to clean and adapt the work space, survey and record by quadrants the fragments of mural painting and plasterwork detached and located on the floor and balconies of the theater, as well as an analysis to determine the salvageable material to be restored to its place of origin and catalog the fragments to be replaced.

These tasks are being carried out in coordination with the Centro Nacional Conservación y Registro del Patrimonio Artístico Mueble (CENCROPAM), which is part of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura (INBAL) and the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH).

At the same time, the medical history of the mural on the dome will be analyzed to determine the state of conservation of the plaster, plastering and pictorial layer that are still adhered to the support and the stability of this material, through cleaning tests and chemical analysis to determine the original elaboration technique and the interventions it has undergone throughout its history.

Both agencies pointed out that these works correspond to a first stage and will allow for a detailed plan to rescue the artistic and historical heritage of elements such as the mural on the dome, the moldings and stained glass windows, among others. Likewise, the Ministry of Public Works will carry out, in this phase, a report on the damaged infrastructure such as ceilings, installations, air conditioning, floors and others. Sedeculta will make an assessment of the damaged equipment and furniture.

Once the deadlines to proceed with the insurance companies have been reached, it is intended to continue advancing in the works in order to open some functional sections for the public while work continues on the integral restoration of the damaged part of the building.

TYT Newsroom