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Barragán House and Studio (Mexico)
No 1136
1. BASIC DATA
State Party: Mexico
Name of property: Luis Barragán House and Studio
Location: Mexico City
Date received: 24 January 2003
Category of property:
In terms of the categories of cultural property set out in
Article 1 of the 1972 World Heritage Convention, this is a
monument.
Brief description:
The House and Studio of Luis Barragán in the suburb of
Mexico City represent an outstanding example of the
architect’s creative contribution in the post-Second World
War period. Barragán’s work integrates modern and
traditional artistic and vernacular currents and elements
into a new synthesis, which has been greatly influential
especially in the contemporary design of gardens, plazas,
and landscapes.
2. THE PROPERTY
Description
The House and Studio of Luis Barragán form a single
construction located on two adjacent lots on a small street
(12 and 14, General Francisco Ramirez Street) in Daniel
Garza neighbourhood, a suburb of Mexico City. The total
surface of the building is about 1161 m
2
. The urban
context consists of workers’ housing, which are modest,
small-scale houses reflecting the typology recurrent in
Mexico City. They are tenement houses interconnected by
a linear pathway. The structures include workshops,
grocery stores, construction material distributors and small
restaurants, as well as important urban infrastructures, such
as highways and telecommunication masts. Adjacent is the
so-called Ortega House, which is also designed by
Barragán.
The House and Studio of Luis Barragán was built starting
in 1948. It is built in concrete with plaster rendering. It has
a ground floor and two upper stories, as well as a small
private garden. The entrance is directly from the street on
the east side of the building. The garden opens toward the
west. The studio takes the northern part of the building,
with an entrance directly from the street (no. 12); the rest
is occupied by the private residence of Barragán (no. 14).
The entrance façade, in the words of the nomination
document, ‘aligns with the street and preserves the
appearance of the neighbouring façades. It is a massive
boundary with precise openings. Due to its austere, almost
unfinished expression, the house would almost be
unnoticed, except for its scale, which contrasts with the
rest of the buildings in the neighbourhood. The house
announces the dwelling of an upper-class gentleman, it is
true, but at the same time, its materials speak of an
introspective and intimate nature, paradoxically humble.
All the windows of the eastern façade represent the
possibility of hiding the direct communication between
domestic space and the city … The translucent, closed
reticulated library window is the single item projecting
over the plane of the façade. Almost the entire exterior
conserves the colour and natural roughness of the plastered
concrete. …’
From the street, next to the garage, there is a modest
entrance door to the residence - leading first to a small
entrance hall. From here, there is access to the living room
that opens to the garden and the library that faces east.
Some of the subdivisions or screens were introduced later.
From the hall as well as from the living room there one can
access the separate dining room. Next to this there is a
small breakfast room and the kitchen. All these spaces
open toward the garden. On the first floor there are the
master bedroom and a guest room with their services, as
well as an ‘afternoon room’. On the second floor, there are
service spaces and a roof terrace. The upper stories are
accessed via narrow stairs without railings. The levels of
the different floors are not regularly placed, but are
designed so as to allow spaces of different heights. Thus,
the living room has a double height.
The north side of the property is reserved for the studio
with its direct access from the street. There is an internal
access also from the living room. The main studio space is
linked with the garden through a patio. On the street side,
there are two small offices, and on the first floor there is a
small private office.
On the garden side, the building has a very different aspect
compared to the street side. ‘The western façade of the
house distinguishes from the practically impenetrable
boundary of the street’s façade not only by the proportion
of its openings, but also in its conception as a dialogue
mechanism between the house and its garden. It is through
this façade that nature accompanies and provokes the
living experience that occurs in its interior. …’
The qualities of Barragán’s architecture are expressed
especially in the treatment of the spaces inside the house,
where he plays with strong non-harmonic colour schemes,
as for example in the sequence from the entrance: ‘The
raw volcanic stone on the vestibule floor extends through a
second door to the hall. Known as exterior pavement, it
accentuates the paradoxical sensation of being in an
internal courtyard at the centre of the house. This second
door also separates the golden penumbra of the vestibule
from the intense light of the hall, composed by a
mechanism of reflections: from the outside yellow
southern plane, light shines onto the golden surface of an
abstract altarpiece, created by Mathias Goeritz, and bathes
the intense pink discovered for the first time in this hall.
The light fills a space that could be perceived as a carving
of white matter on the walls, rather than an area delimited
by bi-dimensional planes. …’
The garden was initially conceived as a large extension of
grass. However, later, Barragán decided to allow the
garden to grow more freely resulting: ‘in the garden’s
current personality, an opulent, almost wild garden that
evokes ancient orchards where vegetation took a life of its
own and made its own decisions. It is an oasis in the
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middle of the urban desert that Mexico City has become.
The garden is essentially monochromatic; save for the
white or orange jasmines and narcissus, it is composed of
several shades of intense green, a colour never used in
Barragán’s palette. …’
History
Luis Barragán (1902-1988) was trained as an engineer, but
he then became a self-taught architect. Having travelled in
Spain and France, he settled first in Guadalajara (1927)
and then in Mexico City (1936). In his early career he was
involved in real estate management.
The property on which the house and studio were built was
probably purchased in 1939 together with a larger area.
This moment coincides with his shift of interest from real
estate activities towards architecture. He built the so-called
Ortega House, making use of a pre-existing building. He
took up his residence in this house in 1943. The house in
number 14 was built in 1948. The first drawings for the
project were realized for Mrs Luz Escandón de R.
Valenzuela. However, in summer 1948, Barragán decided
to take the house for himself. The rest of the property was
sold to the Ortega family. The plans of the house were
gradually developed over the construction period. In fact,
the house became a sort of laboratory for the architect,
who lived here the rest of his life, until 1988.
Management regime
Legal provision:
The property is owned by the Government of the State of
Jalisco and the Fundación de Arquitectura Tapatía Luis
Barragán, A.C.
Based on the Federal Law on Monuments and
Archeological, Artistic and Historic Sites, May 6, 1972,
Architect Luis Barragán’s house (n° 14) was declared a
National Artistic Monument in a decree published in the
Official Gazette of the Federation on Tuesday, November
29, 1988. The studio part (n° 12) was not included in this
protection. The Fundación has initiated efforts to obtain
the relevant designation.
Management structure:
The management of the property is guaranteed by the
Fundación de Arquitectura Tapatía Luis Barragán, which
is a private non-governmental organization. The annual
work plans of the ‘Casa Museo Luis Barragán Fund’ are
prepared by the Fundación in collaboration with the
National Council for the Arts and Culture, the Government
of the State of Jalisco.
The area where the house is situated is controlled by the
Federal Disctrict’s General Programme on Urban
Development (1996). The land use, defined as residential,
is determined by the Plan de Desarrollo Urbano de la
Delegación Miguel Hidalgo (1997).
Resources:
The care and management of the property is financed from
a fund called ‘Casa Museo Luis Barragán Fund’, following
an agreement between the Government of the State of
Jalisco, the National Council for the Arts and Culture, and
the Fundación de Arquitectura Tapatía Luis Barragán A.C.
Justification by the State Party (summary)
The Casa Estudio Luis Barragán (Luis Barragán House
and Studio) owes its singularity to the fact of being a
personal and therefore unrepeatable reflection. This
autobiographical circumstance does not prevent that this
artistic manifesto has gone beyond its time and its cultural
field to become a distinguished reference for the
20
th
century fine arts and architecture. …
Luis Barragán is able to synthesize a wide range of
inspirations, apparently distant from each other. This work
was motivated by a nostalgic mood that moves the artist to
seek for the roots which nourish him, as he often stated. He
was also moved by the desire to propose a better
architecture for his time, without making any historicist or
picturesque concessions. …
Casa Estudio Luis Barragán is ‘a masterpiece of human
creative genius’, able to express universal values in a work
of timeless beauty. (criterion i)
The artistic manifesto of Casa Estudio Luis Barragán is the
result of the criticism and renovation of the Modern
Movement in architecture, achieved by synthesizing other
cultural traditions and artistic styles, fundamentally
Mexican heritage, but surpassing its cultural horizon with
many other approaches. For this reason, Luis Barragán’s
masterpiece succeeds in ‘testifying an important exchange
of influences in a determined stage in human history and
within a cultural area of the world. (criterion ii)
3. ICOMOS EVALUATION
Actions by ICOMOS
An ICOMOS expert mission visited the nominated
property in August 2003. ICOMOS has consulted several
experts in different countries, as well as DoCoMoMo.
Conservation
Conservation history:
The house was inhabited by the architect Barragán until
his death in 1988. The house (n° 14) was legally protected
in 1988. The protection of the studio part is under way.
The property is currently under the care of the Fundación
de Arquitectura Tapatía Luis Barragán, A.C. At the
moment, the house is used as a museum and as the base of
this Fundación.
State of conservation:
The house is in a reasonable state of conservation. At the
time of the ICOMOS expert visit, the roofs and ceilings of
the studio were being repaired. In the future, attention will
be required to other elements as well, such as the terrace
doors, etc. The garden will also need special attention.
Management:
The nominated property is managed by the non-
governmental Foundation, who prepares the annual work
plans in collaboration with representatives of authorities.
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Concerning the building itself, and particularly its interior,
the current management system is considered well done.
The management can also be complimented for their
efforts to raise awareness of cultural values in the
neighbourhood. As a result, one can note that there are less
graffiti in this area than elsewhere.
Nevertheless, problems are indicated with the context of
the property. Even though a buffer zone has been
established, the planning control is not sufficiently
effective. In fact, a new multi-storey building is currently
being built inside the proposed buffer zone infringing the
view from the house beyond the garden. ICOMOS has
been informed that the Foundation would have taken an
initiative to acquire the multi-storey building and demolish
the upper stories. In another building next door, a new
storey has been added over the existing structure. These
changes show that there is an obvious lack of control of the
volume and height of the buildings and other structures in
the surroundings of the nominated property. There is thus
pressing need to establish and properly implement the
relevant planning instruments.
It is observed that current management relies much on
personal relationship and affection. It would be necessary
to establish the management on a more formal base and to
clearly define the conservation objectives and management
policies of the property and the collections housed therein.
This would guarantee a more sustainable base for their
care. This will be all the more necessary when the
materials are being affected by the ageing process, and
when alternative solutions need to be contemplated. This
concerns also the institutional interests and participation,
currently the responsibility of the ministry of tourism of
the State of Jalisco.
Risk analysis:
There are various risks that need to be noted. These
include the problems of urban development, which are
particularly sensitive in a low-density residential suburban
area of a large metropolis. In fact, the area is potentially
subject to increased density.
Another problem is the seismic risk. The Barragán House
itself has resisted earthquakes in the past, showing that it
has been well built. However, it is necessary to make
regular inspections to and assess the environmental impact
of the heavy infrastructures, storage buildings and other
constructions in the surroundings, and to take necessary
preventive measures.
Such prevention should concern not only earthquakes but
also possibility of fires, and other problems. It is noted that
the property is situated in the axis of one of the major
approaches to the international airport of Mexico City.
Authenticity and integrity
The house and studio of Barragán are conserved with great
respect, including not only architecture but also the
Cadillac of the architect and kitchen installations.
Conservation is extended to the various changes that have
occurred over time. In this sense, the property certainly
meets the test of authenticity.
The question of the garden is more problematic,
considering that there is no detailed documentation.
However, taking advantage of the persons who have
known the architect and who have worked with the garden,
the Fundación has the intention to research on this aspect.
A problematic issue relates to the context of the property.
This has consisted of a workers’ suburban area of low
density, generally a single storey, which corresponded to
the wish of the architect. At the moment, the area is
subject to transformation, including infrastructures and
streets with heavy traffic and increasingly high
constructions. During the ICOMOS mission, in the
neighbourhood, a building of 8-10 stories was under
construction; this will directly infect the garden views of
Barragán house. The use of publicity also gives a strong
impact on the environment, as well as the
telecommunication masts that intrude the visual integrity
even of the private spaces, such as the garden and the
terraces of the Barragán house.
It can be noted of course that the character of Barragán
house is introvert and intimate. Therefore, the exterior is
possibly less important than in some other cases. However,
it becomes a problem when the internal space and integrity
risk being disturbed. In fact, serious concern can be
expressed about the sensitivity of the planning authorities
in this regard at the moment.
Comparative evaluation
The nomination document presents a comparative study,
which however – rather than making a comparison with his
contemporaries - is focused on the exploration of the
original sources that have contributed to Luis Barragán’s
work and particularly to his own house. He is identified as
an architect of the ‘third generation’ in the evolving
Modern Movement, together with Lina Bo Bardi, José
Antonio Coderch, Fernando Távora, and Jørn Utzon. Their
work is not seen as ‘a simple antagonistic reaction but
rather the result of a far more complex and fruitful
evolution of these modern precepts integrated into
different realities than its original contexts’.
Barragán travelled extensively throughout Europe, and his
ideas were shaped by the traditional architecture of the
Mediterranean, the gardens by architect Ferdinand Bac, the
work of Mathias Goeritz, and the writings and theories of
Le Corbusier. Reference can be made to the spatial
concepts in the Rietveld-Schröder House by G. Rietveld in
Utrecht (World Heritage 2000) and the Tugendhat Villa in
Brno by Mies van der Rohe (World Heritage 2001), as
well as how Frank Lloyd Wright integrated the Falling
Waters house with the natural environment. Mention is
made of Adolf Loos’ spatial design in Villa Muller in
Prague and Le Corbusier’s concepts of roof terraces as the
fifth façade.
Barragán was the second to be awarded the renowned
Pritzker Architecture Prize, in 1980 (in USA), after Philip
Johnson. This prize is awarded to living architects, and it
has so far also been received, e.g., by James Stirling,
Richard Meier, Hans Hollein, Aldo Rossi, Robert Venturi,
Alvaro Siza, Sverre Fehn, Renzo Piano and Jorn Utzon.
This brief list in itself is an indication of the contemporary
context. For Barragan, the citation of the prize states: ‘We
are honoring Luis Barragan for his commitment to
architecture as a sublime act of the poetic imagination. He
has created gardens, plazas, and fountains of haunting
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beauty— metaphysical landscapes for meditation and
companionship.’
Barragan did not design many houses though those that he
did have been published in several colourful editions. His
greatest influence has been in the design of gardens and
landscapes, particularly urban landscapes. One of his main
works is considered to be the master plan for Parque
Residencial Jardines del Pedregal de San Angel (México
City, 1945-1950), a volcanic area subdivided into suburban
plots with public landscaping and ornamentation. Another
well-known work is the urban master plan for the so-called
Los Glubes (1963-64), with landscape features and
elements such as Fuente de Los Amantes.
While going in some depth with the influences that Luis
Barragán has received, his relation to contemporaries is not
discussed in the nomination document. Nevertheless, in
consultation with DoCoMoMo and taking note of existing
studies, ICOMOS is satisfied that the work of Barragan has
been greatly influential in the development of
contemporary architecture in the second half of the
20
th
century especially in the American continent. His
major works have also been introduced in the teaching of
various architectural schools elsewhere in the world. The
greatest impact of his work has been in the design of
landscape gardens and urban landscapes.
Outstanding universal value
General statement:
The work of Luis Barragán represents the late phase of the
International Modern Movement in architecture and
design, of which the influences go back to the 1920s (e.g.
De Stijl, Bauhaus, Le Corbusier). In the period following
the Second World War, the movement entered a new
phase, which was characterised by the regional application
of the modernist ideas in the different parts of the world,
including Latin America, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, but
also other world regions. In his work, Barragan has been
innovative in integrating elements from the Modern
Movement with ideas from the Mediterranean and Islamic
traditions (e.g. Morocco), such as the use of water
elements and fountains in gardens and landscapes. He has
also been sensitive to indigenous Mexican traditions, and
has used all these elements to create highly philosophical
and minimalist ensembles, recalling some works of
surrealism (e.g. de Chirico).
While recognizing the great variety of modern creative
effort in the second half of the 20
th
century, and the
number of excellent designers, the work of Barragan
stands out for its particular qualities and identity, which
have made it a significant contribution to the development
of modern creative thought.
The choice of the architect’s own residence should be
understood in what it represents. In fact, the question is not
so much about the person of the architect or his
autobiographical work. It is rather about the significance of
this construction as a synthetic reflection of the creative
ideas in an embryonic form, later elaborated in the
landscape designs and urban master plans, for which
Barragan has become best known. Ideally, in fact, the
present nomination could be seen as a significant element
in a potentially serial nomination.
Criterion i: the work of Luis Barragán represents an
outstanding synthesis of the new ideas developed by the
Modern Movement in architecture and design, integrated
with traditional elements from the Mediterranean and
Mexican vernacular heritage, as well as from
contemporary painting and sculpture. The House and
Studio, built in 1948, represents the beginning of the most
creative period in his career. The ideas and concepts that
were reflected and first expressed within the house project
were elaborated in his later work, particularly in the design
of gardens, urban landscapes, and related features.
Criterion ii: the House and Studio of Luis Barragán
exhibits an important interchange of the values that
developed in the architecture and design of the
20
th
century, integrated with traditional features and
colours drawn from the Mediterranean region and Mexico.
His work, of which this nominated property is a notable
example, has significantly influenced the development of
architecture, and particularly the design of gardens and
urban landscapes, in the second half of the 20
th
century in
the Americas.
4. ICOMOS RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation for the future
Considering that, at the present, only the residential part of
the property is legally protected and that the protection of
the studio is in process, it is recommended that legal
protection be enforced on the entire nominated property as
a precondition for the inscription.
Considering that the urban context of the property is
subject to changes, which may undermine the qualities of
the site, and taking note of the increased building heights
in the neighbourhood, it is recommended that the planning
control within the proposed buffer zone be formally
enforced and that steps be taken to remove any
infringements that could disturb the visual integrity of the
nominated property.
Recommendation with respect to inscription
That, subject to satisfying the above conditions legal and
management conditions, the property be inscribed on the
World Heritage List on the basis of criteria i and ii:
Criterion i: The House and Studio of Luis Barragán
represents a masterpiece of the new developments in
the Modern Movement, integrating traditional,
philosophical and artistic currents into a new synthesis.
Criterion ii: The work of Luis Barragán exhibits the
integration of modern and traditional influences, which
in turn have had an important impact especially on the
design of garden and urban landscape design.
ICOMOS, March 2004
