(continued)

The light is projected over a space whose sole function is the use of the telephone. In front of the telephone table there is a chair, a characteristically Mexican piece of furniture, whose placement and surrounding have not changed during the last 50 years.

The main room is a unique double-height space, partitioned by low walls that separate areas for various uses. These divisions do not alter the protagonist character of the space. The skylight has aligned wooden girders that emphasize a window, which operates as an imperceptible physical line between the interior and exterior. An embossed glass plane on the wall accentuates the absence of limits.

The relationship of the interior and exterior has been given a different treatment. The front of the house has high windows that project light and visibility towards the sky; they isolate the room from the street and maintain privacy. On the other hand, the back of the room opens onto the garden, transforming it into an indisputable part of the architecture.

In this spatial language several interesting elements emerge: points of attraction, changing heights, spaces divided by low planes that, through their incomplete vision, insinuate the beyond. The spaces present a formal synthesis of elements incorporated for function, as we can see in the stairs or in the great window. These spaces always contemplate an obsessive attention to detail.

Color and Furnishings

It is worth analyzing how objects develop an intense relationship with a space. It seems that they lose their mobile capacity, integrating like a brick into a wall. The objects, furniture, and ornaments are specific to the space and must be placed exactly where they are.

These objects reveal Barragan's interest in popular culture. He found them in his visits to the craft markets and antique shops, located in busy urban spaces where it is still possible to discover Mexican culture and identity. This is why we find clay pitchers, blown glass, and parchment shades that repeatedly inhabit his works.

The intense colors like Mexican pink, yellow, and lilac are transposed from popular architecture to his work, giving origin to what later, with the manipulation of light, would become transcendent and the distinctive style of his architecture.

The Spirit of the Place

Barragan's spaces are a spiritual absorption, a place to be and enjoy life in a different manner, far away from the noise, consumerism, and madness of the city. While it is set apart from the world, it remains in contact with it. Without isolating, he establishes the necessary distance to create a space where he could come to terms with himself.

Abstract spaces are removed and invalidated by silence. When we walk through them we can perceive the importance of each one of them, and we begin to recognize the strong significance the designer assigned them.

Walls, low partitions, and planes are articulated throughout the space with liberty and intention, losing their simple character. Sunlight is partially, tenuously, or fully projected. It illuminates the interior colors, changing like a magic kaleidoscope through the hours of the day. Pure stairways, just steps, invite us to more intimate levels.

Poetry Drawn from Life

Barragan offers architecture a poetic vision. His work is divorced from conventional lines and develops a language in which he balances a delicate harmonious relationship between his elements. He permits himself to think and reflect critically about society. His work is personal and introverted, constructed from experiences, dreams, and memories.

The landscape of his childhood, the town of Mazamitla, the contact with nature, with animals, and with ingenious ways of transporting water, are the initial personal experiences that directly influence his architecture.

Later he traveled and discovered the importance of gardens in Europe, and of the colors and textures of Mexican popular architecture. All of these elements, united with the contemplation and meditation of his religious practice, were transformed, with the passing of time, into the genesis of his major achievements.

Through this essay, our concern lay in transmitting the architectural spirit, capturing climates and sensations in his work. Our essay could not be limited to a simple three-dimensional copy of the house. We were interested in demonstrating how a person can perceive emotions, sentiments, and silences through digital technology.

Carlos Agresta and Pedro Bonta are editors of Arquitectura Digital, a journal of digital architecture published in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

This article was part of a special on Luis Barragan that originally appeared in the May 2000 issue of Arquitectura Digital. It is reprinted with permission of the editors. It was translated from the original Spanish by Anna Bonta

The front of Barragan's house facing the street barely hints at the light-filled interior spaces. Image: Estudio Bonta A pink plane in the main hall of Barragan's house is our first contact with light management, color, and texture. Image: Estudio Bonta The telephone table and characteristically Mexican chair have not changed during the last 50 years. Image: Estudio Bonta The stair, illuminated by the great window, insinuates the beyond. Image: Estudio Bonta The back of the main room opens onto the garden, transforming it into an indisputable part of the architecture. Image: Estudio Bonta Barragan's spaces are a place to enjoy life in a different manner, far away from the noise, consumerism, and madness of the city. Image: Estudio Bonta Top view of the digital model of Barragan's house. Image: Estudio Bonta An overview of the computer model of the Luis Barragan house. Image: Estudio Bonta   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.