Some examples of spaces potentially usable through restoration or recycling of the old textile industry in the central region of Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

This study reviews the concepts of architectural sustainability, restoration, and recycling to reflect on their relevance when considering old, obsolete, or abandoned buildings that housed important industrial processes in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. The textile industry, dedicated to spinning and weaving cotton in previous decades, operated in the central region of the state, specifically in the area surrounding the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. Therefore, various bibliographic, newspaper, and photographic sources were reviewed to document and analyze, as examples, the historical and cultural significance, current situation, and future prospects of the former textile factories of San Bruno and Lucas Martín in the municipality of Xalapa, Veracruz, and La Purísima in the municipality of Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico. The aim is to contribute to raising awareness of their potential for reuse, the importance of their conservation, and their role in supporting cultural and urban sustainability. The results showed that the three cases analyzed were economically and socially important in the area and that, currently, even though they present different conditions of physical and architectural conservation, they continue to be culturally important in their local communities, as well as potentially reusable.