Completing the Vision for the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center

Zócalo structure with main facility in background

For nearly 20 years, the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (ESB-MACC) has celebrated Mexican American art, history, and culture in the heart of downtown Austin. Now, with the completion of its Phase 2 expansion, the center is closer than ever to fulfilling the vision first imagined when it was designed.

people in native costumes dancing under a zocalo — Members of Danza Azteca Guadalupana de Austin perform beneath the new shade structure in the ESB-MACC's transformed Zócalo during the June 6 grand reopening celebration. The event marked the completion of the Phase 2 expansion and welcoming the community back to the revitalized cultural center.

Funded through the 2018 General Obligation Bond, the Phase 2 project added approximately 19,000 square feet of new interior and covered outdoor space while renovating existing facilities. The expansion includes a teaching kitchen, community gallery, dance studio, music hub, youth education wing, studio art classroom, multipurpose spaces and a transformed outdoor plaza designed to support cultural events and everyday gathering.

collage of three different spaces — Phase 2 includes different community spaces, such as (from left to right) a dance studio, a classroom, and a teaching kitchen.

For Project Manager Heidi Tse, however, the project is about much more than new amenities.

"It's for everybody to experience," Tse said. "Sometimes the words 'Mexican American Cultural Center' signify it's only for that group. It isn't. It's for everybody to experience that culture."

Located along Lady Bird Lake, the ESB-MACC serves as a place where visitors can learn, create and connect through art exhibitions, music, dance, genealogy resources, language classes and community programs. The expanded facility creates more opportunities for people of all ages to participate.

people walking through an art gallery — Visitors tour the Sam Z. Coronado Gallery during the June 6 grand reopening celebration at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. The Phase 2 expansion strengthens the center's role as a destination for art, education and cultural programming.

"It's a building that's used during the day for classes as well as at night for music rehearsals," Tse said. "There are opportunities for learning, and there are opportunities for multiple generations. This one building does a lot for the community."

The project itself reflects years of collaboration between City staff, architects, and community members. During the planning process, residents and stakeholders helped shape the design by identifying priorities including additional classrooms and studios, dedicated music spaces, a teaching kitchen, expanded gallery space and stronger connections to the Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail.

Collage of project drone photo and site plan — A late 2024 drone photo of the construction site next to the site plan.

"We went through an extensive amount of community engagement," Tse said. "There was so much demand for this facility, and we tried to listen to all the needs of the community members and incorporate them within the budget that we had."

One of the most significant transformations is the redesigned Zócalo, or Perez-Ramos Plaza. The outdoor gathering space now includes an event lawn, an 80-foot shade structure, new landscaping, improved trail connections and infrastructure to support festivals, performances and community events.

People walking outdoors under zocalo and an event tent — Visitors gather in the transformed Perez-Ramos Plaza during the June 6 grand reopening of the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center. The redesigned Zócalo, featuring a new 80-foot shade structure, serves as the heart of the Phase 2 expansion and provides flexible space for festivals, performances and community events.

The expanded center officially welcomed the community back during the Juntos de Nuevo grand reopening celebration on June 6. An estimated 3,000 people attended the daylong event, according to Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment (ACME). Visitors explored the renovated spaces, participated in art, dance, music and culinary workshops, enjoyed live performances, viewed gallery exhibitions and gathered throughout the day to celebrate the center's reopening. For Tse, seeing families, children and community members filling the new spaces was especially rewarding after years of planning and construction.

Tse said the plaza has become her favorite part of the project because she has already seen how people are embracing it.

drone shot and close-ups of a snake path art project — Originally installed in 2007, artist Benito Huerta’s unique AIPP (Art in Public Places) Mexican Milk Snake Path was carefully dismantled for site prep in late 2023 and was then reinstalled with a few thoughtful tweaks as part of the Phase 2 expansion. Using original pavers and input from the artist, the snake’s head is now slightly larger and sits higher, framed by new railings that create a natural look out spot. The path winds through the site and extends into the parking lot, with landscaping that comes right up to the edge of the pavers.

"I saw someone lying on the grass, just looking up at the tree canopy," she said. "They weren't reading a book. They weren't walking a dog. They were simply at peace. I don't think any of us knew what kind of impact that space would have until we saw it being used."

The project also presented unique design challenges. The expansion had to seamlessly connect to the original crescent-shaped building while complementing its distinctive architecture. Rather than replicating the original hand-chiseled concrete panels, the design team selected white brick that reflects the same handcrafted character while meeting today's durability standards.

white brick of building shown close up and far away — Some see feathers in the patterns, others see snakeskin, all depending on how the sunlight hits the exterior white bricks. This hand‑laid brickwork adds a subtle texture that shifts throughout the day, reflecting the skilled craftsmanship and attention to detail thoughtfully woven into the project.

For Tse, the completed project demonstrates that architecture can do more than house programs. It can inspire the people who use it.

"You don't want to create a building that's just a container for a wish list," she said. "You want to create a building that's inspiring. It's about creating a place where people can paint, sing, play music, cook and share all those things together."

collage showing cleaning of exterior panels and close up of the marble — Skilled artisans once journeyed from Mexico to shape these exterior precast panels by hand, chiseling intricate textures into the concrete and revealing flecks of marble that shimmer in the light. Phase 2 restored that original brilliance through a gentle cleaning process that revived the exposed marble aggregates. The white concrete embedded with marble pays homage to the volcanic rock used throughout traditional Mexican architecture.

Although the center officially reopened in June, Tse believes the project's greatest impact will be measured over time.

She hopes that years from now, the classrooms will be full, community programs will continue to grow and the center will become a destination that feels as familiar to Austinites as the city's other civic landmarks.

"I want people to know what this building is," she said. "How does it serve the public? How does it serve Austinites and visitors?"

With new spaces for learning, creativity and community, the ESB-MACC Phase 2 expansion fulfills much of the original vision for the center while creating new opportunities for generations of Austinites to experience and celebrate Mexican American culture together.

overhead view of the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center