Legorreta

1 | How would you define [Legorreta’s] architectural accomplishments for the two projects Solana and Camino Real Hotel, Extapa related to culture and climate?

I would define them as just that: accomplishments in culture and climate.  Okay, so the question begs to be asked, “what is culture?”  When you think of culture, we as designers like to think of the rich cultures of Mexico, Europe, China…  Places that have a rich history and a deep connection and respect of their culture.  And then there’s America.  I was watching an episode of Arrested Development yesterday and they had a scene where the main character was in a British-themed neighborhood in Los Angeles.  In the heart of the neighborhood there was an American-themed restaurant (the show is very quirky like that, if you’re not familiar with it.)  The restaurant poked fun at Americans by offering a heaping plate of doughnuts as an appetizer, the portions were huge, and when the characters left, they carried over-sized bags of leftovers.  Of course, this is a dramatization and meant to be comedic, but it does give a glimpse into what we value as a country, and it really got me thinking about the American “culture.”  And that’s the word I’ve been trying to avoid.  “Culture” in other parts of the world is so vast, so deep, so rich, it’s one of the most beautiful things we have on this planet, in my opinion – a respect and love and passion for your roots, for your country, for your history – it’s incredible!  And then there’s America and the stereotypes that we have – like the scene in the TV show – and you have to think, is this our culture?  Is overeating, being lazy, building and living to excess – is that what defines us?  Is that our culture?  I vote yes.  We may not like to admit it, but it’s true.  Additionally, the economy and finances are the driving forces behind our culture.  The pinnacles of every skyline – which used to be churches and cathedrals – are now financial and insurance institutions.  Look at Portland – the two tallest towers are the Wells Fargo and US Bank Towers.  So that’s my bit about culture.  My point is that culture can be good or bad, and if you’re designing buildings based on that culture, the results are going to be largely the same.  Legorreta’s buildings are very nice, but that’s because he has a very nice culture to design behind, based on his studies and passion for the Mexican culture, which he dubs “the truth about Mexico.”  I don’t think that’s a strategy that could be applied everywhere, though, because some cultures aren’t as beautiful as others.  Legorreta’s accomplishments in cultural architecture are successful in large part because the culture he’s building from is successful.  Would his technique work if he were designing for the American culture?  His “tools” of light, material, and mystery would be replaced by economy, efficiency and speed, and then, well, go to the suburbs and see what that looks like…

As for climate, that’s much more tangible to design around, and Legorreta does a fantastic job designing for it, from what I read and saw in the article.  The lack of air conditioning in Camino Real Hotel to keep people connected to the climate, while inconvenient by today’s standards, is a beautiful thing.  The pools are also great – private pools for each room might be a little excessive, but it’s a way to get back to the roots of Mexico, where you went for a swim to cool off.  His materials seem very traditional, very vernacular, as well – I’m sure (I hope) they play a role in the building responding to the climate to keep people comfortable, rather than just being there for looks.  I didn’t feel that Solana was as successful, I know the concept was to integrate with the landscape, but the whole set of buildings feels very imposed and more about form than responding to function and climate.  There was mention of a pool, but it doesn’t look inhabitable in the pictures, it looks like it was more for show.  One redeeming part were the shadows that the article mentioned that the buildings created, giving users a place to “walk and socialize,” a very important design aspect and a tribute to his most successful design trait – designing for people.  He is gifted with a wonderful culture to design behind, he does a decent job in responding to climate, but his main focus is to design for people.  And he does that phenomenally well.

-J. Maternoski