Casa ITESO Clavigero

A Memorable Mexico Road Trip With One of Our Top Contributors

"Pritzker-winning architect Luis Barragán’s works might seem like relics of the past to some, but his first masterpiece, which still stands in Guadalajara, is as magnificent as ever. The house was commissioned in 1928 by Efraín González Luna (who later became one of the founding ideologues of the Partido Acción Nacional, PAN). Around that time, the Tapatía school of architecture was born, seeking to create architecture that represented the state of Jalisco by combining the villa with rural and hacienda architecture. Barragán was a passionate member of the group. González Luna inhabited the house until his death in 1964. His descendants did not have the resources or the intention to occupy it, and in 1999 it was loaned to ITESO. Today, the house operates as a cultural center and cafeteria, and visitors are welcome to come and discover Barragán’s architectural handiwork. There are perfectly flat green roofs and windows made with gold dust and Tlaquepaque crystal. The house was also made with materials from Guadalajara such as ceramics, tile, wood, adobe, and lime paint. The main corridor connects all of the rooms and leads to an Arab-inspired fountain. In the tower, there is an office, and the upper floor includes an oratory. Due to its unusual and elegant architecture, the house was declared a National Monument in 2006, and remains a masterpiece of the Tapatia School." - ATLAS_OBSCURA

"Mexico’s most influential architect—and the only one toreceive the Pritzker Prize—Luis Barragán was born and trained in Guadalajara and practiced in the city until he was 34. He then moved to Mexico City , where he achieved fame for his distinctive and colorful approach to modernism, noteworthy also for its emphasis on courtyards and gardens. Little remains in Guadalajara of Barragán’s early work but one notable exception is the Casa Iteso Clavigero, which now serves as a cultural center for a Jesuit university. While the interiors have been redesigned into gallery spaces, the exteriors have been beautifully preserved. In 1929, when Barragán designed the house, he was still working in a largely regional style, though the house’s bright yellow walls and some ingenious details provide hints of the architectural masterpieces that he would create later in his career. It’s free to walk around the building (as well as enter it, though there are no permanent exhibits related to Barragán) and you can take photos of the exteriors (but none inside the building)."

"Mexico’s most influential architect—and the only one toreceive the Pritzker Prize—Luis Barragán was born and trained in Guadalajara and practiced in the city until he was 34. He then moved to Mexico City , where he achieved fame for his distinctive and colorful approach to modernism, noteworthy also for its emphasis on courtyards and gardens. Little remains in Guadalajara of Barragán’s early work but one notable exception is the Casa Iteso Clavigero, which now serves as a cultural center for a Jesuit university. While the interiors have been redesigned into gallery spaces, the exteriors have been beautifully preserved. In 1929, when Barragán designed the house, he was still working in a largely regional style, though the house’s bright yellow walls and some ingenious details provide hints of the architectural masterpieces that he would create later in his career. It’s free to walk around the building (as well as enter it, though there are no permanent exhibits related to Barragán) and you can take photos of the exteriors (but none inside the building)."

"Mexico’s most influential architect—and the only one toreceive the Pritzker Prize—Luis Barragán was born and trained in Guadalajara and practiced in the city until he was 34. He then moved to Mexico City , where he achieved fame for his distinctive and colorful approach to modernism, noteworthy also for its emphasis on courtyards and gardens. Little remains in Guadalajara of Barragán’s early work but one notable exception is the Casa Iteso Clavigero, which now serves as a cultural center for a Jesuit university. While the interiors have been redesigned into gallery spaces, the exteriors have been beautifully preserved. In 1929, when Barragán designed the house, he was still working in a largely regional style, though the house’s bright yellow walls and some ingenious details provide hints of the architectural masterpieces that he would create later in his career. It’s free to walk around the building (as well as enter it, though there are no permanent exhibits related to Barragán) and you can take photos of the exteriors (but none inside the building)."