Discontinuity of forms and materials in the feminine exconvents in the Historic Center of Mexico City

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explain and show how the change of use has caused the spaces to change formally and at the same time in materials depending on the use it has. The first time this phenomenon is observed in religious buildings, documenting it is evident that this phenomenon originated from the confiscation of assets. The religious buildings that will be referred to in this article are female ex-convents and for feasibility reasons some of those that exist in the historic center of Mexico City were analyzed. In order to better understand the behavior of this phenomenon, which from this moment on was named architectural discontinuity, a photographic survey was carried out, as well as a historical investigation to determine the original dimension of the convent and using tools such as Google maps or Google earth, to know the properties that currently belong to the origin of the convent. In some cases, it was possible to enter the premises and in others it was only possible to obtain evidence of the facades. With the support of the people who currently live in those places, it was possible to obtain more data such as the physical affectation of the spaces and the change in use that these have had over time. A non-experimental test design was used, with the help of statistical tools, with which it was possible to obtain a representative sample of the ex-convents that were analyzed. The data of the people were obtained through an interview and a survey. It was possible to know that the changes of use depend on the evolution of the city, as well as the needs of those who occupy the space, giving rise to architectural discontinuity. The uses that generate the highest level of discontinuity are commercial use and mixed use (commercial and residential). The use that generates less discontinuity is educational use.