Mexico City 2021: Luis Barragan
September 4- 20, 2021
Mexico City (D.F.), Mexico
On my recent trip to Mexico City, I visited two of notable architectural homes tied to the work of Luis Barragán, Casa Gilardi and his home studio, Casa Estudio both in the San Miguel Chapultepec bordering the Condesa neighborhood. If you have time and enjoy moving slowly through architectural spaces, I’d recommend both.
Casa Gilardi, completed in 1976, is one of Luis Barragán’s final residential projects. It’s still inhabited by the original family who commissioned it, and they’ve opened the home for guided tours. That living presence adds a quiet tension to the experience, like walking through a work of art that continues to breathe.
The tour I joined was led by one of the sons of the original owner. As we moved through the space, he spoke about what it was like to grow up in the house, offering personal memories that softened the geometry of the architecture. Casa Gilardi is best known for its vibrant, dreamlike use of color: a golden corridor, a pool tinted blue by light, blocks of magenta on the exterior, But what caught my eye was the staircase, two stories high, without guardrails, wrapping along the wall.
Curious, I asked our guide whether his parents ever worried about raising small children in a house with such open, precarious elements. He smiled and said no accidents ever happened. “We just had common sense,” he told us, shrugging lightly, as if to say that the house had taught them to move carefully, to be aware, to pay attention.
After visiting Casa Gilardi, I stopped to grab breakfast at a cafe before heading to Casa Luis Barragán, his former home and studio and just a few blocks away. This home feels more introspective. It offers insight into who Barragán was, not just as an architect but as a deeply spiritual, solitary artist. The space is filled with objects he loved: religious icons, flowers, custom furniture, books, artwork placed with a sense of consideration. The rooms are quiet and austere, but nothing feels cold. There’s a kind of warmth to the restraint. From the garden to the roof terrace, every decision feels cared for.
Barragán famously said that any work of architecture that does not express serenity is a mistake. Being in these spaces, you begin to understand what he meant. There’s something devotional about them, not in a religious sense, but in how they create space for presence, stillness, reflection.
It’s a rare thing to stand inside someone’s vision and feel like it’s inviting you inward.
Links to both of their sites:
1. https://casagilardi.mx/en/
2.http://www.casaluisbarragan.org/eng/en_index.html
Another thing to note: Make sure to make advanced reservations to Casa Gilardi, as it is open by appointment only and availability is limited
Casa Gilardi
Calle Gral. Antonio León 82, San Miguel Chapultepec I Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11850 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Casa Estudio Luis Barragan
Gral. Francisco Ramírez 12, Ampliación Daniel Garza, Amp Daniel Garza, Miguel Hidalgo, 11840 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico