In honor of the anniversary of the master's birthday on March 9, PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA collected five of his most iconic projects.
Casa-Estudio Luis Barragán, Mexico City, 1948
The concrete two-story studio house is built mainly in the Mexican architectural style, with bright color solutions influenced by artists Rufino Tamayo and Jesus Reyes Ferreira. The rough walls of the facade are very similar in color and structure to the walls of neighboring buildings. The center of the interior is the garden. The house is sometimes compared to an oasis behind high walls, which does not let in the city chaos. Luis Barragan lived in this house until his death in 1988. Later, the building was turned into a museum and has the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tlalpan Chapel, Mexico City, 1953
Luis Barragan, a staunch Catholic, not only agreed to develop the project for the expansion of the Capuchin chapel and monastery for free, but also financed part of the construction. The works lasted seven years: the chapel was opened in 1960. The architect designed every detail, down to the vestments of the priest, in an attempt to give form to abstract ideas about faith and human destiny. Features of the project are expressive character of materials and colors, amazing play of light and shadow.
"Torres de Satélite", Naucalpan, 1958
In 1957, in connection with the growing urbanization of Mexico, a satellite city of Mexico City - Ciudad Satellite - was founded. Mexican urban planner Mario Pani, who designed the new city, suggested to Luis Barragan to make a kind of "front door" to it. Barragan also invited two of his friends to participate: the sculptor Mathias Goeritz and the painter Jesús Reyes Ferreira.
The result of their joint work were the Torres de Satélite, which are multicolored towers in the form of triangular prisms (the tallest is 52 meters, the shortest is 30 meters). The towers are set in the middle of a wide avenue and have become a symbol of the main entrance to Ciudad Satellite. The Torres de Satélite were used as the official emblem of the 1968 Olympic Games.
The stables of San Cristóbal in Mexico City (Cuadra San Cristóbal), 1968
The San Cristóbal stables are part of the Los Cubles complex, which was designed by Luis Barragan in 1968. There are two reservoirs in the complex: a small one in front of the house for people, a large one with a fountain in the yard for animals to drink from. It is assumed that the rider can descend into this reservoir on horseback to the sound of water falling from the aqueduct. The Los Cubles project merged elements of modernism and traditional Mexican architectural features. Calm shades contrast with bright colors - terracotta, shining white, bright pink.
Casa Gilardi in Mexico City (Casa Gilardi), 1975–1977
Luis Barragán returned to work after taking a well-deserved vacation to design Casa Gilardi for Pancho Gilardi and Martin Luque, owners of an advertising agency in Mexico City. The building was designed in such a way that it could function as a work space and at the same time as a couple's accommodation.
The architect placed the house around an old jacaranda tree that grew in the middle of the plot. A patio separates the main area at the front from the entertaining area at the back. As in many projects of the architect, color plays a significant role here. The bold shades are based on paintings by the same Jesus Reyes Ferreira and must be renewed every few years to avoid fading.
