Ricardo Legorreta

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

A. Ricardo Legorreta’s accomplishments celebrate is embrace of culture with a willingness to seek new solutions and technologies without turning his back to vernacular architecture.  His brush with death is a uniquely formative experience as well, and in his case, one that made him more culturally sensitive.  During Legorreta’s first meeting with Luis Barragan, he demonstrated a crucial component to being successful in architecture:  the ability take criticism with humor and use it to improve.  I think that Ricardo’s cultural light-heartedness was beneficial to him in this regard.  His love of painters and artists, particularly Mexican born artists, is also a reflection of his culture.  Many architects in the US seem to avoid color and playfulness, yet Ricardo’s work celebrates both characteristics.

Legorreta’s design theory is evident in both the Camino Real Hotel and Solana.  With the hotel, he uses vernacular architectural style, emulating ancient Mesoamerican temples and scale in the design.  The materiality is also distinct to the region.  The passively condition lobby and gathering spaces allow visitors to feel to regional climate, influencing their experience.  The pools are similar to the ocean in the sense that, at just the right angle, they appear to become infinite.  I feel that in terms of a large scale hotel design and construction, Ricardo has done his part to produce a regionally appropriate building.  For the IBM development , Solana, I also feel Legorreta has successfully implemented cultural and climactically sensitive components into the overall program.  This development could has easily been an office park from Anywhere, USA.  However, Legorreta’s use of color, massing, stucco, and orientation give in a specific place and feel.  While I wasn’t originally fond of the style, I imagine the refreshing change it must be from working in a typical box office with technical components.  The simple playfulness of the design would lead to a contrast to the intricate work performed at a tech facility.