Week 08_ 2/2: Ricardo Legorreta

Before tackling the question about Legorreta’s projects, I will mention few points that were really interesting in his interview with John Mutlow. Legorreta mentions his aim to provide “a real social mixture” in all his projects. He claims that his signature is about light, planes, proportions and colors. But isn’t that the tools used by all the architects? Isn’t he using the same “vocabulary read as a language” which all architects use?

How would he realize a different architecture?  An architecture that really screams “ ¡ Viva Mexico ! “ ( the words he used when he decided to have his own practice).

In Camino Real Hotel, the design evolved from the cliff and the imposing sea. I think the building imitated a rugged mountain cover that steeps towards the seashore, which is left intact for people to enjoy. Following Barragan’s advice, he integrated the tropical vegetation’s, then he designed artificial landscape elements especially around the pool (stairs, minimalist aqueducts, galleries of columns). I can tell that these elements derived from more complicated forms of traditional Mexican architecture, an architecture that, for years, evolved about culture and adaptation to climate. He values architecture and happiness, and that shows in his design:  Respecting the nature, designing spaces for human interaction and finally being romantic ( as he learned from Barragan). For him, this is being Mexican.

As for Solana project, his approach was more rational. Perhaps this is what he learned from Villagran. Setting functions while discussing it with the clients. But he didn’t forget that he is designing for people. He even designed the production lines in a more humane approach by  giving the workers the individuality  of having an intimate working space that can be used during vacations for family gatherings. He doesn’t just “paint” walls. The colors he used are part of the landscape’s palette. The shapes of superposing elements are also part of the site’s silhouette.

Water, vegetation, landscape, colors and materials: this is including climate.

Using planes, relating to human scale, intersecting functions: this is adapting to culture ,peacefully.

Grace Aaraj