世界文化遗产——墨西哥路易斯·巴拉甘住宅与工作室

　　TheLuisBarragánHouseandStudioexhibittheintegrationofmodernandtraditionalinfluences,whichinturnhavehadanimportantimpactespeciallyongardendesignandurbanlandscaping.TheartisticmanifestoofCasaEstudioLuisBarragánistheresultofthecriticismandrenovationoftheModernMovementinarchitecture,achievedbysynthesizingotherculturaltraditionsandartisticstyles,fundamentallyMexicanheritage,butsurpassingitsculturalhorizonwithmanyotherapproaches.

　　LuisBarragán(1902-88)wastrainedasanengineer,butbecameaself-taughtarchitect.Inhisearlycareerhewasinvolvedinrealestatemanagement.Thepropertyonwhichthehouseandstudiowerebuiltwasprobablypurchasedin1939togetherwithalargerarea.Thismomentcoincideswithhisshiftofinterestfromrealestateactivitiestowardsarchitecture.Hebuilttheso-calledOrtegaHouse,makinguseofapre-existingbuilding.Hetookuphisresidenceinthishousein1943.ThehouseinNo.14wasbuiltin1948.ThefirstdrawingsfortheprojectwererealizedforMrsLuzEscandóndeR.Valenzuela.However,insummer1948,Barragándecidedtotakethehouseforhimself.TherestofthepropertywassoldtotheOrtegafamily.Theplansofthehouseweregraduallydevelopedovertheconstructionperiod.Infact,itbecameasortoflaboratoryforthearchitect,wholivedtherefortherestofhislife,until1988.

　　Thepropertyisasingleconstructionlocatedontwoadjacentlotsonasmallstreet(12and14GeneralFranciscoRamirezStreet)intheDanielGarzasuburbofMexicoCity.Thetotalsurfaceareaisaround1,161m2.AdjacentisBarragán'sOrtegaHouse.Thehouseisbuiltfromconcretewithplasterrendering.Ithasagroundfloorandtwoupperstoreys,aswellasasmallprivategarden.Theentranceisdirectlyfromthestreetontheeastside.Thegardenopenstowardsthewest.Thestudiotakesthenorthernpartofthebuilding,withanentrancedirectlyfromthestreet;therestisBarragán'sprivateresidentialquarters.

　　Theentrancefacadealignswiththestreetandpreservestheappearanceoftheneighbouringfacades.Itisamassiveboundarywithpreciseopenings.Becauseofitsaustere,almostunfinishedappearance,thehousewouldalmostbeunnoticed,exceptforitsscale,whichcontrastswiththerestofthebuildingsintheneighbourhood.Thehouseannouncesthedwellingofanupper-classgentleman,butatthesametimeitsmaterialsspeakofanintrospectiveandintimatenature,paradoxicallyhumble.Allthewindowsoftheeasternfacaderepresentthepossibilityofhidingthedirectcommunicationbetweendomesticspaceandthecity.Theentireexteriorconservesthecolourandnaturalroughnessoftheplasteredconcrete.

　　Someofthesubdivisionsorscreenswereintroducedlater.Theseparatediningroomisreachedfromthehallandthelivingroom,nexttowhichthereisasmallbreakfastroomandthekitchen.Allthesespacesopentowardsthegarden.Onthefirstfloorarethemasterbedroomandaguestroom,aswellasan'afternoonroom'.Onthesecondfloor,thereareservicespacesandaroofterrace.Theupperstoreysareaccessedvianarrowstairswithoutrailings.Thelevelsofthedifferentfloorsarenotregularlyplaced,butaredesignedsoastoallowspacesofdifferentheights.Thus,thelivingroomisdoubleheight.

　　Thenorthsideofthepropertyisreservedforthestudiowithdirectacce