Legorreta

After his brush with death, Legorreta had an epiphany to commit his career as an architect to the service of others. Judging from his work alone, my first instinct was that he created modern luxury projects in the Southwestern/ Mexican vernacular, and didn’t get the distinct impression that he was helping anyone. I found that he prioritized the experience of the IBM factory worker in his design of Solana, and did some initial studies into designs for public housing, though none was ever built. Perhaps his greatest service was to combine the essential elements of Mexican architecture with modernism, bringing the emotion and poetry of his homeland onto the global stage.

How would you define his architectural accomplishments for the two projects Solana and Camino Real Hotel, Extapa related to culture and climate?

Climate

Legorreta’s thick walls with rhythmic punched openings directly respond to the need for thermal mass in desert climates. He uses water features in public areas for emotional effect, but they also help with passive cooling. The many examples of geometric screens throughout both the Camino Real Hotel and Solana bring down the massive scale of the walls, but also allow for air infiltration and shading at the interiors.

Culture

“Legorreta understands Mexican culture as one infused with emotion, mystery, and exuberance” (Mutlow, 17).  The most memorable aspect of Legorreta’s work, in my opinion, is his use of vibrant color.  In some cultures, these colors would be seen as too flashy, but with the desert palate and bright natural light of the region, it fits. At the Camino Real Hotel, Legorreta uses a vibrant red at the main staircase and at the screened entrance. At the Solana Village Center he places a massive purple pillar at the main reflecting pool.  In each of these cases, his use of color signifies directional importance while making a bold aesthetic statement. Overall, this work exudes a sense of playfulness, discovery, and emotion that is rooted in the culture of its place.

-Annie