Cinco de Mayo!

May 05, 2007

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I thought I'd post a few superb examples of Mexican architecture...

Church of our Miraculous Lady - Felix Candela

Every architecture and engineering student knows Felix Candela for his swooping forms and thin shell concrete structures. An engineer and designer, he is truly affected concrete design today with his pioneering efforts in reinforced concrete and thin shell design. If you're not already familiar with his work, make sure you read up before taking the ARE!

Fuente de los Amantes - Luis Barragan

I still remember the first time I heard Luis Barragan's name. .. One of my professors was trying to 'relate' to one of the Hispanic students in my studio. He couldn't believe that this student had not heard of Luis Barragan... after all, wasn't he one of them? It amazed me that an actual professor could stereotype like that! How dare he?!?! But, after I got over my indignation, I made an effort to remember the name and looked it up later in the library. While, nothing could justify his treatment of my fellow students, I was still impressed with the architect he had referenced. And I think it would be difficult to find any architect who isn't impressed with the simplicity of Luis Barragan's work.

Guggenheim Museum Guadalajara and Center for the Indigenous Arts - Ten Arquitectos
Enrique Norten is one of the most internationally renown Mexican architects. His firm, which was started in the mid-80s has really hit its stride in recent years. The size of his newly opened New York office and the wide variety of projects Ten Arquitectos works on is evidence of their value in the architectural world.

Sombrerete Housing - Taller Arquitectura X

The architecture of Alberto Kalach is new to me... but he's obviously been producing some great work in Mexico and abroad for quite some time.

Fashion and Textile Museum, Visual Arts Center - Legorreta + Legorreta

One of the pre-eminent architectural design firms in Mexico, Leforreta + Legorreta is a family affair. This firms works diligently to create a Mexican vernacular architecture for the people, rather than for other architects. In the end, we all win because in creating spaces that work for the public, they in turn create forms worthy of international attention.

Videoteca Nacional Educativa - Miguel Adria Architecto
Another fabulous modernist Mexican Architect. Miguel Adria uses a great deal of modern and high tech materials. Like many of his contemporaries, he creates simple forms enhanced by technically advanced and unique materials.


"Mexico is a country of architects. Architecture is one of the pillars of our culture and part of our daily life: every Mexican is an architect at heart." - Ricardo Legorreta

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