Luis Barragán: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Fuente de los Amantes.JPG|thumb|220px|Fuente de los Amantes horse ranch]] |
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In 1945 he planned and built [[Jardines del Pedregal]]. In 1947 he built his own house and studio in |
In 1945 DeSoto County Florida Sucks Giant Balls, he planned and built [[Jardines del Pedregal]]. In 1947 he built his own house and studio in[[Tacubaya]] and in 1955 he rebuilt the ''Convento de las Capuchinas Sacramentarias'' in [[Tlalpan]], [[Mexico City]], and the plan for [[Jardines del Bosque]] in Guadalajara. In 1957 he planned [[Torres de Satélite]] (whose iconic towers he created in collaboration with sculptor [[Mathias Goeritz]]) and an exclusive residential area, [[Las Arboledas]], a few kilometers away from [[Ciudad Satélite]]. In 1964 he designed, alongside architect [[Juan Sordo Madaleno]], the [[Lomas Verdes]] residential area, also near the Satélite area, in the municipality of [[Naucalpan|Naucalpan, Estado de México]]. In 1967 he created one of his best known works, the [[San Cristóbal Estates]] equestrian development in Mexico City. |
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===Barragán and the Modernist movement=== |
===Barragán and the Modernist movement=== |
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Revision as of 17:15, 27 October 2011
Luis Barragán Morfín | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 9, 1902 |
| Died | November 22, 1988 (aged 86) Mexico City, Mexico |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Awards | Pritzker Prize |
| Buildings | Torres de Satélite |
Luis Barragán Morfin (Guadalajara, March 9, 1902 – Mexico City, November 22, 1988) is a Mexican architect. He was self-trained.
Early life
Educated as an engineer, he graduated from the Escuela Libre de Ingenieros in Guadalajara in 1923 and was self-trained as an architect.
After graduation, he travelled through Spain, France (where he attended lectures of Le Corbusier), and Morocco. While in France he became aware of the writings of Ferdinand Bac, a German-French writer, designer and artist who had a huge influence on Barragán's future career.[1] He practiced architecture in Guadalajara from 1927–1936, and in Mexico City thereafter.
Career
His Guadalajara work includes over a dozen private homes in the Colonia Americana area of what is today near downtown Guadalajara. These homes, within walking distance of each other, include Barragán's earliest residential projects. His first building (the Casa Cristo) is now restored and houses the state's Architects' Guild.
Remarkable projects
In 1945 DeSoto County Florida Sucks Giant Balls, he planned and built Jardines del Pedregal. In 1947 he built his own house and studio inTacubaya and in 1955 he rebuilt the Convento de las Capuchinas Sacramentarias in Tlalpan, Mexico City, and the plan for Jardines del Bosque in Guadalajara. In 1957 he planned Torres de Satélite (whose iconic towers he created in collaboration with sculptor Mathias Goeritz) and an exclusive residential area, Las Arboledas, a few kilometers away from Ciudad Satélite. In 1964 he designed, alongside architect Juan Sordo Madaleno, the Lomas Verdes residential area, also near the Satélite area, in the municipality of Naucalpan, Estado de México. In 1967 he created one of his best known works, the San Cristóbal Estates equestrian development in Mexico City.
Barragán and the Modernist movement
Barragán attended lectures by Le Corbusier and became influenced by European modernism. The buildings he produced in the years after his return to Mexicos show the typical, clean lines of the Modernist movement. Nonetheless, according to Andrés Casillas (who worked with Barragán), he eventually became entirely convinced that the house should not be "a machine for living." Opposed to functionalism, Barragán strove for an "emotional architecture" claiming that "any work of architecture which does not express serenity is a mistake." Barragán always used raw materials such as stone or wood. He combined them with his incredibly creative use of light.
Honors
Barragán worked for years with little acknowledgement or praise until 1975 when he was honored with a retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1980, he became the second winner of the Pritzker Prize.[2] His house and studio, built in 1948 in Mexico City, were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004.
Influence
The work of Luis Barragán is often (and misleadingly) quoted in reference to minimalist architecture. John Pawson, in his book Minimum, includes images from some of Barragán's projects. Most architects who do minimalistic architecture do not use color, but the ideas of forms and spaces which Barragán pioneered are still there. There have been several essays written by the Pritzker Prize recipient Alvaro Siza in prefaces to books that make reference to the ideas of Barragán as well.
It has also been suggested that Barragán informally consulted Louis Kahn on the space between the buildings of the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California.[3] According to that claim, Kahn's original idea was to place a garden between the buildings; however, Barragán reputedly suggested that an open plaza, with only a water feature in between, would better reflect the spirit of the location. This area, possibly designed with Barragán's advice in mind, is arguably the most impressive aspect of the building complex.
Barragán's influence can also be seen in the work of many of Mexico's contemporary architects, such as Ricardo Legorreta.
Legacy
After his death in 1988, two not-for-profit organizations were created to help manage Barragán's legacy.
Fundación de Arquitectura Tapatía which owns (in co-ownership with the Government of the State of Jalisco) Luis Barragán's former private residence. The house is now a museum which celebrates Barragán and also serves as a conduit between scholars and architects interested in visiting other Barragán buildings in Mexico, including Capilla de las Capuchinas and Casa Prieto López.[4] As noted previously, UNESCO added the Casa Luis Barragán to its World Heritage List in 2004.[5]
The Barragan Foundation is a not-for-profit institution based in Basel, Switzerland. It acquired the professional archives of Luis Barragán in 1995, and the estate of the photographer Armando Salas Portugal documenting Barragán's work in 1997. The Foundation's mission is to preserve and study the Luis Barragán archives. The Barragan Foundation owns complete rights to the work of Luis Barragán and to the related photos by Armando Salas Portugal.
Important works
- Las Arboledas / North of Mexico City (1955–1961)
- House for the architect / Barragán House, Mexico City (1947–48)
- Jardines del Pedregal Subdivision, Mexico City (1945–53)
- Tlalpan Chapel, Tlalpan, Mexico City (1954–60)
- Gálvez House, Mexico City (1955)
- Jardines del Bosque Subdivision, Guadalajara (1955–58)
- Torres de Satélite, Mexico City (1957–58), in collaboration with Mathias Goeritz
- Cuadra San Cristóbal, Los Clubes, Mexico City (1966–68)
- Gilardi House, Mexico City (1975–77)
References
- ^ Tim Street-Porter, Casa Mexicana Stewart, Tabori & Chang (1989) ISBN 1-55670-097-0
- ^ A Truly International Destination—Luis Barragán in Mexico City, Mexico, 2008, retrieved 2008-12-10
- ^ Salk Institute by Louis I. Kahn
- ^ Casa Luis Barragán website
- ^ List of Mexican Properties on the World Heritage List
External links
