Luis Barragán House and Studio

Site information

• Official name: Luis Barragán House and Studio
• Location: Mexico City, Mexico
• Type: Cultural
• Year of inscription: 2004

Mexican architect Luis Barragán was best known as one of the foremost representatives of the International Modern movement in its final stages. He was known for using light and space to create a sense of poetry in his work. Barragán's work was never static. Instead, it progressed through a number of stages as he grew as an artist and as he embraced his ties to his homeland. His home and studio located in the suburbs of Mexico City still stand as a testament to his life and work.

The structure is considered an excellent example of modernism interwoven with elements of a traditionalist style that has been influenced by both prehistoric and Mediterranean architecture. The property, which had become the Casa Luis Barragán Museum, was named as a World Heritage Site in 2004. Barragán's professional archives were left to his business partner, who later committed suicide, and they were ultimately sold to a Swiss couple who strictly limited access. Thus, Barragán's legacy has been tainted by controversy. However, his unparalleled talents in both the fields of architecture and landscaping continue to exert an influence in the Americas, particularly in urban areas, plazas, and gardens.

History

As Luis Barragán built what would become his home and studio for the rest of his life, he felt that he was creating the story of his life. The structure grew to encompass two adjacent lots at Numbers 12 and 14 General Francisco Ramirez Street. Work began in 1948 before Barragán reached the height of his fame, and the house was intended to become the home of Luz Escandón de R.Valenzuela, but Barragán felt that he had poured so much of himself into the structure that he could not let it go.

Barragán was born Luis Barragán Morfin into a wealthy Catholic family, and he had the opportunity to study engineering in Europe in the mid-1920s. He returned to his birthplace of Guadalajara, Jalisco, and became an architect before moving to Mexico City in 1956. Over the next few years, he tried out various architectural styles before setting on what became his signature style. Barragán received the Pritzker Price in 1980 in recognition of his work that was characterized by geometric buildings employing bright jewel-like colors such as turquoise, pink, yellow, cerulean blue, and bright orange used in contrast with earth tones. His best known works are the El Pedregal Subdivision, which was built in Mexico City between 1943 and 1952, and the chapel and convent of Capuchin, which he worked on immediately afterward. Over the course of his career, Barragán amassed a professional archive that included 13,500 drawings, 7,500 photographic prints, 82 photographic panels, 7,800 slides, 290 publications containing samples of his work, 54 various other publications, 7 clipping files, 7 architectural models, and scores of manuscripts, notes, correspondence, furniture, and other items. His private archive was left to his family.

The exterior of the house and studio is composed of rough cement walls. Inside, the living area boasts a soaring ceiling and floors of pine. The main window of the room looks out onto the garden. That the garden was of major importance to Barragán is evidenced by the fact that it can also be entered from the dining room, kitchen, and breakfast nook. Instead of formal landscaping, he chose to let plants grow naturally. A set of stone steps provides access to the upper floors and to the roof. On the roof, he placed a terrace with walls of gray, white, and red and a floor covered with red ceramic tiles. From this vantage point, the patio, chapel, and garden are visible.

Barragán died from complications of Parkinson's disease in 1988. According to his will, he was buried in Guadalajara where he had been born in 1902. The legend of Barragán did not end with his death. He left his professional archives to his business partner, Raul Rerrera, who established the Luis Barragán Foundation of Guadalajara Architecture. Rerrera committed suicide in 1993, and control of Barragán's work passed to Rerrara's wife, who sold the professional archives to the highest bidder in 1995. The archives ended up in New York where they were purchased for $3 million by a Swiss businessman, Rolf Rehlbaum, as a wedding gift for his fiancé, architectural historian Frederica Zanco. She chose to store the archives in Basel, Switzerland, and refused access to scholars and other interested parties.

American conceptual artist Jill Magid became determined to have the archives opened up to scholars and came up with an unprecedented idea. She secured the permission of Barragán's family to have his ashes disinterred and a scoop of those ashes formed into a two-carat diamond that was then set into an engagement ring. Magid offered the ring to Zanco because she had heard that the archives had been purchased in lieu of an engagement ring. Although Magid failed to have the archives returned to Mexico and opened to scholars, she did have some influence on providing access to Barragán's work since Zanco's Barragan Foundation and Rehlbaum's Vida Design Museum hosted The Quiet Revolution, a traveling exhibition of Barragán's works in 2000. The tour included Mexico.

Significance

The Luis Barragán House and Studio meet World Heritage Site Criteria i and ii because they are considered to be of significant importance to global heritage. The structure meets Criterion i because of its ability to link different architectural styles and influences that range from artistic to philosophical. Standards for meeting Criterion ii state that a World Heritage Site chosen because of its architecture or landscaping must be able to demonstrate that it represents a meaningful interchange of human values, and Barragán's garden has continued to do so decades after his death.

The admission price for the Luis Barragán House and Studio is considered steep when compared to similar tourist attractions, and most visitors are either architects or fans of modern architecture. Anyone wishing to take photographs is required to pay a higher admission price. Consequently, Barragán has not been well known in the twenty-first century. He intentionally designed the structure to blend in with its surroundings, and he was known for creating anonymous exteriors that hid lavish interiors. Those factors ensure that the house and studio do not attract the attention of the general public.

The Luis Barragán House and studio is composed of a ground floor, two other stories, and a private garden that can be accessed from several locations within the house. The garden reflects Mediterranean and Islamic influences that are demonstrated by Barragán's use of water and fountains. Under the management of the Luis Barragán Foundation of Guadalajara Architecture, the structure is well maintained and preserved. The foundation and the museum work with the National Institute of Fine Arts and Literature to protect the integrity of the house and studio and ensure their authenticity. Since 1994, André Casillas de Alba, a Barragán admirer, has been in charge of restoration on the property.

Interest in Barragán and in the Luis Barragán House and Studio was revived in 2016 by Magid's exhibition, The Proposal, which highlights Barragán's work and her efforts to have his professional archives returned to Mexico and opened to the public.

Bibliography

Barragán, Luis, et al. Barragán: The Complete Works. Princeton Architectural P, 2003.

Carranza, Luis E., and Fernando Luiz Lara. Modern Architecture in Latin America: Art, Technology, and Utopia. U of Texas P, 2014.

Gregory, Alice. "Body of Work." New Yorker, vol. 92, no. 23, 1 Aug. 2016, pp. 26–33.

Luis Barragán House and Studio. World Heritage List. World Heritage Cultural Centre, UNESCO, 2016. whc.unesco.org/en/list/1136.

"Luis Barragan House and Studio: Historical Facts and Pictures." History Hub. www.thehistoryhub.com/luis-barragan-house-and-studio-facts-pictures.htm. Accessed 4 Dec. 2016.

Shields, Jennifer A. E. "Luis Barragán's House and Studio." Collage and Architecture, Routledge/Taylor and Francis Group, 2014, pp. 219–26.