These are some of the most notable cases of Art Deco in Mexico City, which if you don’t know them will surprise you with their beauty and elegance.
The architectural elegance that decorates our city.
Art, especially in its expressions of design and craftsmanship, became highly notable between the 20s and 30s? And its revival in some cities in the 50s ?, Saw the birth of one of the most sophisticated currents that can be seen in the decorative arts and architecture: art deco. Own the French expression Arts Décoratifs (decorative arts), the modern trend of using the geometric shapes of nature and adapting them to disciplines of architecture, visual arts, and graphic and industrial design, arose when in 1900 the first group of French people was created in Paris who bet on a visual reality of Vanguard. And although this took 25 years to establish itself as what would be called Art Deco, today we can still delight in unusual examples of this trend.
The main characteristics of this subgenre of art come from other currents such as cubism of painting, futurism, which derived from the previous Art Nouveau (but in contrast to this is pointed to straight lines or frets instead of wavy ones), ancient Egyptian art and more formally from the “rationalist” experiments that were created in the Bauhaus laboratory. They were also classic ornaments such as the sans-serif letter and in the chaos of the houses the arches of the entrances and windows.
Art Deco is one of the most luxurious decorative styles with a social background. In a way, it was a form of protest against the postwar austerity of the 20th century. So it arises in those periods of the 1920s after the first world war and ends in the 50s after the second war.
Among the characteristics of Art Deco, are the use of plants and geometric shapes both in the visual arts and in architecture, the mixture of styles, such as Constructivism, Cubism, Fauvism and even the Egyptian style, thanks to the discoveries that were made. out during that time.
Art Deco had a great impact on architecture in Mexico, due in large part to the fact that we did not have a war here and because in general, Mexicans have always mixed styles, shapes and projected desires. Some neighborhoods in Mexico City still allow us to admire these beautiful buildings that today continue to give their streets a unique flavor.
The most notable cases are in the Tabacalera neighborhood and the Hipódromo Condesa neighborhood, which were aimed at the middle class that began to expand after the Revolution. The outstanding creators of this stage were the architects Juan Segura and Francisco J. Serrano.
Here we leave you 10 examples of the most representative buildings of Art Deco in CDMX.
El Moro Building
Paseo de la Reforma 1, Tabacalera.
Emblematic, imposing and avant-garde. This steel, concrete and glass building is the headquarters of the National Lottery, in addition, it was the first skyscraper in the capital and in 1946 it was the tallest building in Mexico City.
Monument to the Revolution
Plaza de la República S / N, Tabacalera.
The Art Deco of the monument combines volcanic stone with quarry stone. The original layout intended the construction of a French-style Legislative Palace; however, construction had to stop during the Revolution. During the 1930s, the architect Carlos Obregón Santacilia took up the project, transforming it into a monument to the Revolution.
Interior of the Palace of Fine Arts
Av. Juárez, Historic Center.
53 meters to the spiral and 42.5 m to the ceiling, which are part of the 4 floors and an underground parking lot. The palace mixes various architectural styles, where Art Deco predominates in the interior completed by Federico Mariscal. It is a representation of the god Chaac in a light panel.
Fronton Mexico
De La República 17, Tabacalera, CDMX.
El Fronton is Art Deco at its best. Designed by Joaquín Capilla and Teodoro Kinhard in 1921, it was inaugurated in 1929 and was one of the most important social meeting points for the Mexican elite during the 20th century. Sobriety, geometry, stepped finishes, octagonal doors, marble, granite, steel, glass, concrete.
Picadilly Building
Celaya, Condesa, CDMX.
It is a 3-story, 6-apartment building designed by the architect Ernesto JG Buenrostro and built in 1930. Its façade has an asymmetric shape and two vertical lines that run its length.
Popocatepetl Square
Popocatépetl 41, Countess.
This Art Deco style pavilion fountain was designed built in reinforced concrete by the architect José Gómez Echevarría in 1926 and is popularly known as La Bomba. It is a kind of dome or cupola supported by four white columns, all decorated with tiles and in the upper part a hole that during the zenith allows sunlight to enter the interior of the structure, illuminating it for a moment.
Railroad Alliance Building “Alianza Ferrocarrilera“
Ponciano Arriaga 20, Tabacalera.
This building was made by Vicente Mendiola Quezada, Carlos Greenham and Luis Alvarado in the 1920s. Its geometry is dominated by vertical planes that generate a stepped continuity, the window openings and their composition exalt the volume of each architectural element. We can appreciate an Art Deco feature in its main entrance: the engraved name of the building and the combination of geometric elements with organic motifs that decorate the entrance gate.
Palacio de Hierro building
Av. November 20, Historic Center.
An icon of the Historic Center of Mexico City, and a reference of style and exclusivity since it was inaugurated in 1891, it is an example of Art Deco. On the occasion of the celebrations of the Bicentennial of the Republic, the architectural work had in 2010 a restoration on the façade, canopies, domes and stained glass windows, which are undergoing new lighting.
Marquis Reforma
Paseo de la Reforma 465, col. Cuauhtémoc.
The hotel is located in one of the most exclusive areas of Mexico City. In this location, surrounded by the most prestigious fashion stores, gourmet spaces with more exclusive details and the best art galleries in the city, you will find this building designed by Ochoa architects. In addition, its proximity to the famous Bosque de Chapultepec makes the views from the hotel truly impressive and spectacular. Each of the hotel rooms has been decorated following the most luxurious Art Deco trends.
Basurto Building
Avenida México 187, Colonia Hipódromo.
Although the building is closed due to the damage it suffered in the 19s, the 14-story building located in what was once the garden of Mr. Basurto’s house deserves to be mentioned. Due to the irregularity of the terrain, the architect Serrano proposed a plan in the shape of a cross and thanks to its geometry, the building has a direct relationship with the northeast, southwest and northwest, which guarantees the possibility of sunlight throughout the year.
Liverpool, Centro Historico
The building served as one of the first department stores in the city. It dates from 1936, at that time it sold merchandise imported from Europe. It is remembered for having been the first building with escalators in the entire city. His style responds to the current of art deco, and has remained unscathed for several decades.
Source: mxcity.mx
