The history of Ciudad Universitaria UNAM (CU) dates back to the first half of the 20th century, when in 1929, the National University obtained its autonomy, becoming the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Therefore, among its first initiatives was the creation of a campus according to the needs of its students, since its schools were distributed in several buildings in the center of Mexico City, in what was known as the university neighborhood.
The UNAM University City project: a long road To go
However, for different reasons, the idea would have to wait until 1942, when the then rector of the highest house of studies, Rodulfo Brito Foucher, would choose the Pedregal de San Ángel to build the new campus.
Later, in 1945, the Congress of the Union would approve the Law on the Foundation and Construction of the University City and a year later, in 1946, with the arrival to the rectory of Salvador Zubirán, he would manage the acquisition of the land for the campus. , which were expropriated under the administration of President Ávila Camacho. Also, that year the call for preliminary architectural projects of the buildings was launched.
Likewise, with the arrival of Miguel Alemán to the presidency, resources were injected to continue with the preliminary project of the work and three students from the UNAM Faculty of Architecture were the winners of the call: Teodoro González de León, Armando Franco and Enrique Molinar, who under the direction of the prestigious architects Mario Pani and Enrique del Moral designed the project. In 1948, the first infrastructure works began: drainage, tunnels and bridges.
The statue of Miguel Alemán that was dynamited at the UNAM
The dream of university students comes true
On June 5, 1950, in a ceremony presided over by the rector Luis Garrido and the Secretary of the Interior Adolfo Ruiz Cortines, the first stone of the first building of UNAM University City would be formally laid: the Science Tower (today Humanities Tower II) .
Likewise, completing the construction of the campus with its multiple buildings, sports facilities and open spaces would take a little more than two years and in 1954, classes would begin in the faculties of Law, Medicine and Sciences.
University City Extension UNAM
The campus has an area of 733 hectares in which it houses:
- Nearly a thousand administrative buildings and buildings for the various faculties, including Architecture, Sciences, Political and Social Sciences, Law, Economics, Philosophy and Letters, Engineering, Medicine, Psychology and Chemistry.
- It also has 138 libraries with more than 5 million books. The main ones are the Central and National Library.
- It also has the University Cultural Center, equipped with the Nezahualcóyotl concert hall, the Juan Ruiz de Alarcón Theater, the University Museum of Contemporary Art, the sculpture space, movie theaters and more.
- The University Olympic Stadium.
- And an important collection made up of more than 100 murals by artists such as Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Juan O’Gorman.
UNAM Sculptural Space, the lava pool in Ciudad Universitaria
Finally, Ciudad Universitaria UNAM is a symbol of the social values that drive public education in our country and its architecture is one of the best examples of modernity in Latin America. For this reason, in 2007 it was declared a cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO and is the pride of all Mexicans.
Continue reading: UNAM, best higher education institution in Mexico according to the QS World 2023 ranking
Faculties of Ciudad Universitaria UNAM
- architecture facuilty
- Faculty of Arts and Design
- Science Faculty
- Faculty of Political and Social Sciences
- Faculty of Accounting and Administration
- law School
- Economy faculty
- Faculty of Philosophy and Letters
- Faculty of Engineering
- School of Medicine
- Faculty of veterinary medicine and zootechnics
- Faculty of Music
- Faculty of Dentistry
- Faculty of Psychology
- Faculty of Chemistry