Known for its fuschia exterior, dramatic shadows, and lush courtyard, La Cuadra San Cristóbal in northwest Mexico City has long been a destination for devotees of revered architect Luis Barragán. Designed in the late 1960s with his protégé Andrés Casillas on commission for Swedish businessman Folke Egerstrom, the historic 7.5-acre residence and equestrian compound is considered a masterwork by Barragán and features many elements of his signature design style that are evident in his projects across Mexico.
This October, the famous complex is slated to open as a new public cultural campus focused on carrying on Barragán’s legacy by facilitating programs at the intersection of art and architecture, according to an announcement earlier this week from Mexican architect Fernando Romero’s namesake nonprofit foundation.
The adaptation of La Cuadra San Cristóbal comes years after Romero began pursuing the site when its owners made it available in 2017.
“When the Egerström family began to consider a move, it was important to them that they sell the property to someone who was committed to maintaining the integrity of the estate and protecting Barragán’s work,” Romero told Hyperallergic in an email. “Contrary to popular belief, La Cuadra San Cristóbal is not designated as a heritage site and was at risk of demolition due to its proximity to housing developments.”
Last year, he finalized the acquisition of the property through his foundation with the intent of preserving the estate’s architectural heritage and transforming it into a new hub for artists.
Over the next decade, La Cuadra will be expanded with the integration of new features including pavilions situated adjacent to the complex, additional galleries and studio space, a library, a multi-purpose venue, a gift store and coffee shop. The compound will also host a new artist residency program and a series of temporary, site-specific installations.
The first of the compound’s public programming, which is expected to open in the fall with the inauguration of La Cuadra, will be a permanent exhibition spotlighting Barragán’s life and work. Curated by architect Jorge Covarrubias, the show will present Barragán’s first modernist buildings in Mexico City and hone in on eight of his titular works including his personal home and studio, which was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Prior to the official opening later this year, La Cuadra held its first event during the annual Zona Maco art fair last week, with a lecture and site-specific “performance by artist Marina Abramovic that marks her first time working in Mexico since the 1990s.
