Casa Universitaria del Libro

The Casa Universitaria del Libro is a beautiful old mansion that today serves as a cultural and community center, especially for the UNAM community. Part of the UNAM office of Cultural Diffusion, the Center in Roma hosts book presentations, courses, workshops, diploma courses, concerts, and lectures, among other events.

The Casa del Libro opened here in 1986. The building dates from a construction period between 1920 and 1925 although it had been planned some time earlier. It was only finally opened and occupied in 1929. originally the home of Joaquín Baranda MacGregor and his wife, Dolores Luján Zuloaga.

The house features a half-basement, an elevator, and a double drainage system that separated sewage from rainwater already in the 1920s. The building was constructed with multiple closets and finished with wood and marble paneling, tapestries, plasterwork, stained glass, and fine wood floors.

The family occupied the mansion until 1940 when it was rented to serve as the Brazilian Embassy. The family sold the property in 1945 to the Centro Asturiano who used it as a headquarters and social club for some 40 years. The Asturiano club, needing a larger space, then let it to the UNAM in 1986.

In 2018, the Office of Cultural Diffusion took over and since then the facility has been put to use serving the cultural needs of this community. The Casa is especially important for use as a training facility although they frequently host film screenings, video conferences, exhibitions, and book presentations. The building is home to exposition halls, galleries, a reading room, bookstore, and library.

On the grounds are a five-story building dating from 1951. This houses the library, a television room and a newer ballroom and banquet hall.

The Casa Universitaria del Libro is just a block north of the Plaza Río de Janiero.