Kengo Kuma working on plan to transform one of Pritzker Prize-winning architect’s most celebrated works into a place of ”endless creativity”
One of the most celebrated private residences designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Mexican Architect Luis Barragán will be turned into a visitor attraction after being acquired by a local businessman.
Barragán’s La Cuadra San Cristóbal, a 6.7 acre walled compound on the outskirts of Mexico City, was built in the late 1960s as a private estate encompassing a residence, equestrian facilities, and landscaped gardens.
It was acquired by Mexican architect and businessman Fernando Romero in 2017 in the belief that the property’s transition to new owners could risk its integrity.
Romero, through his not-for-profit foundation Fundación Fernando Romero, has announced plans aiming to protect the site and transform it into a “cultural resource” for the public and the world’s art and architecture community.
Over the next decade, a phased programme of upgrades will see the construction of a series of new pavilions adjacent to the compound commissioned from internationally acclaimed architects, including a timber pavilion designed by Kengo Kuma.
Other additions will include a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Barragán, an artist residency programme, a gallery of design objects, a library, a podcast production studio, an events venue, a gift shop and a coffee shop.
Romero said the masterplan envisions a “platform for endless creativity in one of the most vibrant spaces in Mexico”.
“Our work at the Fundación is driven by the belief that architectural innovation and artistic production can help foster a more just and culturally vibrant world,” he said.
“It is a great honor to begin this work by envisioning La Cuadra as a dynamic cultural hub that encourages new possibilities at the intersection of art and architecture.
“Through a range of programming, we aim to catalyze the power of architecture for the visiting public and celebrate the enduring cultural influence of Luis Barragán.”
The programme of cultural events will start next month with a talk by Serbian performance artist Marina Abramović, with the permanent exhibition to open in autumn this year, curated by Jorge Covarrubias, an architect who has restored Barragán’s Casa Prieto López and Fuente del Bebedero.
The exhibition will showcase Barragán’s first modernist buildings in Mexico City and provide a closer look at eight main works, including Casa Gilardi and Torres de Satélite.
Barragán won the Pritzker Prize in 1980, and his personal home, the Luis Barragán House and Studio, was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
His modernist work, initially influenced by Le Corbusier, took on his characteristic colourful and playful style from the 1950s, emphasising open space, calmness and a subtle use of light.
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