7.17.2011

viva mexican modernismo

Pedro Ramírez Vázquez

I found this book in a thrift store yesterday,
(for a dollar)
"10 Arquitectos Mexicanos".
Pretty sweet little book.
The printing is for shit,
but the architecture is outstanding.
Here are some of my favorites,
and since I can't read Spanish, I can only
give you the architects name and 
not much more....

Luis Barragan

Luis Barragan

Francisco Artigas

Francisco Artigas

Francisco Artigas

Juan Sordo Madaleno

Juan Sordo Madaleno

Mario Pani

Enrique De La Mora Y Palomar

Augustin Hernandez

Augustin Hernandez

Augustin Hernandez

Augustin Hernandez

Augustin Hernandez

Augustin Hernandez

Augustin Hernandez

Juan O'Gorman

Francisco Artigas

Not much more here....

9 comments:

  1. Great find!!!!!! I have been looking for this book for years.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I guess I got lucky! How it ended up in a thrift store in Hendersonville, N.C. I would love to know....

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gosh! They're all spectacularly beautiful. I wonder if they're all still standing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wonderful - time for a new book or Facebook/flickr page on these great buildings - Mr Diaz?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Francisco Artigas was my grandfather, R.I.P.
    He was a big fan of Wright and Phillip Johnson.

    ReplyDelete
  6. bartigas- Your grandfather was an extremely talented man. I had never heard of him before I found this book, but have been fascinated ever since. Thanks for the note, and please if you have photos or stories to share I would love to see and hear them. best- mb

    ReplyDelete
  7. mb- Thank you for your kind words.
    My grandfather, known to his friends and family as "Pancho", was indeed gifted. 
    He was not well known outside of Mexico, and he only built one house outside the country that we know about. 
    It is located in Apple Valley, CA. 
    It still exists, abandoned, at the top of a hill overlooking the town. 
    A modernist house in the spirit of the homes being built in Palm Springs in that era. 
    It was featured in his book.  
    This is a self published large format book from where some of the images you posted originated. 
    He used to give it as a gift to friends and clients. 
    My parents have the book at home. I could scan some images for you. 
    It has a foreword by a noted architecture critic named Esther McCoy. 
    She left in her archives some photos and documentation to the Smithsonian.  See the link below for a story about his "Castle". 
    This the place where I grew up. It is a bit over the top, and totally unlike the early modernist works. 

    http://www.terencegower.com/pdfs/Terence%20Gower%20-%20The%20Castle.pdf

    Thanks for your interest. bartigas

    ReplyDelete
  8. bartigas-
    This is so great! I have a million questions.... Could you email me?
    mondoblogo (at) gmail (dot) com....
    I look forward to hearing from you soon!
    Best,
    Patrick

    ReplyDelete