Veracruz Restores Former Allende Prison as University Cultural Center

The former Allende Prison in the historic centre of Veracruz, a neoclassical building erected in 1908 during the Porfirio Díaz era, is being transformed into the new Cultural Arts Center of the Universidad Veracruzana. After decades of use as a jail, film set, refuge for criminal groups, and later as a courthouse and public prosecutor offices, the structure has long stood abandoned.

Renovation work has repainted the façade in dark red and yellow, installed green‑tinted LED street lamps, and added new windows that mimic wood while preserving the original architecture. Interior spaces are being adapted into academic halls and cultural venues, respecting the building’s more‑than‑century‑old heritage.

The project aims to revitalize a key piece of Veracruz’s patrimony and provide a modern cultural hub for the university and the city’s residents.