Hotel de la Bella Unión, hôtel de Mexico
Hotel de la Bella Unión is a historic building on Calle Palma in central Mexico City, built in 1840 by Italian engineer José Besozzi in just five months. The two-story structure used innovative steel framework joined by rivets and brick walls, featuring a simple French-influenced design with busts of early Mexican presidents displayed on its facade.
The hotel was built in 1840 as Mexico's first structure specifically designed for guests and pioneered steel-frame construction instead of traditional colonial architecture. After the American invasion in 1847, US soldiers occupied it and converted it into a military quarters with bars, gaming halls, and other establishments.
The building is located at the corner of Calle Palma and Calle 16 de Septiembre in the historic center and is easily accessible on foot. Today it houses a retail shop, but the historic facade with the president busts remains visible and can be viewed from the sidewalk.
The building was Mexico's first structure with a steel-frame design, an architectural feature that did not become common in the country until decades later. This pioneering construction technique made it an early example of modern building methods in a nation still dominated by colonial styles.
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