Casa Estudio Luis Barragán

Though from Guadalajara (he never let friends forget), Pritzker Prize–winning architect Luis Barragán lived much of his life in Mexico City, where he designed and constructed this, his last residence, completed in 1948. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the home is open to be toured by small groups—by appointment only; English-language guides are available upon request—who want a chance to tap into Barragán’s brand of minimalism, which involved bold monochromism and a masterful use of light; striking horizontality and framing applied to windows, gardens, and views; a highly sui generis Catholic spirituality; and, not least of all, the architect’s bizarre need for control, in everything from what staircases guests might use to what records got played in different rooms.

Don’t let the concrete exterior fool you. Casa Luis Barragán, the midcentury home and studio of the Pritzker Prize–winning architect Luis Barragán, emphasizes natural light, bright color, and striking contrasts. Inspired by his travels in Europe and Morocco and by the work of designers Le Corbusier and Ferdinand Bac, the home became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2004. Reservations required.

Luis Barragán was the preeminent modernist Mexican architect. Sometimes characterized as the Frank Lloyd Wright of Mexico, he was the second winner of the Pritzker Prize. Active in Mexico City and Guadalajara, there are a number of significant buildings in Mexico City that can be visited. The Barragán House, his own house in Tacubaya, a close-in neighborhood of Mexico City, is now a museum. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and is open for tours. The Tlalpan Chapel is part of a Franciscan convent in Tlalpan, another zone of Mexico City. A stunning example of modernist use of light and color in the service of religion, the site is also open to the public. Through the services of Monica Yris, who has a tour business in Mexico City, Mexitli Tours (www.mexitli.com), my wife and I were able to arrange visits to Casa Gilardi, a private residence in Tacubaya, Casa Eduardo Prieto Lopez, a private residence that was part of the Jardines del Pedregal, an influential subdivision developed by Barragán and San Cristobal Stable (pictured) in Los Clubes, another development just outside the city. Monica took care of the logistics and drove us between sites. These visits afforded us an opportunity to experience firsthand, and intimately, truly astonishing and historically significant modernist architecture.