Pirámide de Cataño

In a previous existence, this

striking pyramid was a library. Now, it’s being transformed into an integrated center for the arts and sciences, thanks to the joint efforts of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Puerto Rico (MAC) and the Center for Sustainable Development Studies (CEDES) of the Cupey Campus of Ana G. Méndez (UAGM).

A mural titled “

Entre tierra firme y mar

” (“Between mainland and sea”) by Nathan Budoff McKibben adorns the pyramid. The northern side features the endangered Antillean manatee that still sometimes swims in the Bay of San Juan. The eastern face displays an octopus surrounded by crabs to represent the local cuisine of the Cataño municipality, as well as two fisherman bats in flight.

The southern side shows the Chirriaría bird, Puerto Rican monarch butterflies, and fisherman bats. Finally, the western facade depicts a seaside landscape with a coconut palm, mangroves, a heron, and the Lancha de Cataño, a ferry boat that connects the town of Cataño to Old San Juan across the bay.