mexican brutalism: mexico city’s brutalist architecture

Written By ian

cdmx’s brutalist buildings, such as the amalia hernández’s school of folkloric ballet, are part of mexico’s culture and history

mexico city boasts beautiful brutalism, but unfortunately the city’s brutalist architecture isn’t as on the map as those of other cities, such as london’s or boston’s. this capital city’s concrete creations deserve to be seen, especially given that they are an integral part of the the city’s amazing architectural diversity

though by no means exhaustive - there are other wonderful concrete buildings yet to be captured here - this guide will cover some of mexico city’s most iconic brutalist buildings to help you discover the beauty of mexican brutalism

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palmas 555

< palmas 555’s main façade featuring the building’s characteristic dark aluminum parapets

palmas 555 is one of mexican architect juan sordo madalenos’s most famous projects; it was he that designed it along with associate architects josé adolfo wiechers and josé ignacio de abiega. this operating office building, built in 1975, takes its name from its address, avenida paseo de las palmas 555

it is famous, perhaps, due to its striking design that sees the tower’s nine floors rise up in staggered formation. depending on how you look at it, the building appears to undulate, while sometimes giving off the impression that it is not particularly stable. the architect’s firm - sordo madaleno arquitectos (sma) - assures us the opposite is true: the building’s “rigid-frame structure transmits loads vertically” through its entire height 

the firm states that each floor features “a solid parapet clad in dark aluminum above which there runs a perimeter ribbon window”. natalia yunis, whose words for archdaily are used by sma in their spanish-language site to describe the building (or vice-versa, it’s not clear), explains that the tower’s apparent movement serves to hide this glass perimeter, while the parapets protect palma 555’s façades from the sun. she also points out that the structure’s seemingly random displacement is actually a pattern that repeats every flour floors

palmas 555 is featured in katarimag’s list of 10 iconic brutalist buildings in latin america. it is located in the lomas de chapultepec neighborhood, roughly a mile southwest of the soumaya museum


  • architect: juan sordo madaleno

  • built: 1975

  • use: office

  • address: av. paseo de las palmas 555, lomas de chapultepec, miguel hidalgo, 11000 cuidad de méxico, cdmx

the rufino tamayo museum (museo tamayo)

the rufino tamayo museum utilizes pre-hispanic elements in its design and stands as an icon of the country’s cultural heritage

the tamayo museum is a compact concrete structure calmly sitting at an important cultural crossroads in the mexican capital - el bosque de chapultepec - just steps from the national museum of anthropology

the idea for this contemporary art museum was conceived by mexican painter rufino tamayo, who utilized the talents of architects teodoro gonzález de león and abraham zabludovsky to bring his idea to life in 1981. the result? a magnificent brutalist building and a work of art in itself that is influenced by pre-hispanic architecture. “[the building] is thought of as an additional piece of the museum’s collection,” writes karina duque for archdaily, “or the most important one”

youtuber sebastian estrada, who recorded his visit to the museum, describes feeling like he’s discovered archeological ruins upon seeing the tamayo. from its main entrance, the building does appear to take the shape of a pyramid’s base. this is highlighted by the slopes of earth that rise to meet the structure on its rear side, which helps cement the idea that the museum and its surrounding environment are one and the same. “the slopes are a fundamental part of its composition,” explains duque, “hinting that the museum rises from the ground like an additional tectonic plate.” the tamayo museum received the national architecture prize in 1981



  • architects: teodoro gonzález de león and abraham zabludovsky

  • built: 1981

  • use: contemporary art museum

  • address: av. paseo de la reforma 51, polanco, bosque de chapultepec 1 secc, miguel hidalgo, 11580 ciudad de méxico, cdmx






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mexico’s school of folkloric ballet (escuela de ballet folklórico de méxico)

< this ballet school was founded by amalia hernández and designed by her brother, renowned architect augustín hernández navarro


you’ll find mexico’s school of folkloric ballet, formally known as escuela de ballet folklórico de méxico de amalia hernández, on a quiet street just outside of mexico city’s historic center. the school is easily distinguishable from its surroundings thanks to its front façade which draws heavily from geometric shapes

according to the school’s website, this concrete structure is another building that takes elements from pre-hispanic architecture. architect agustín hernández navarro - brother of amalia, the school’s founder - uses trapezoidal shapes in a design inspired by the “aesthetic of mayan pyramids.” the building was inaugurated in 1968

as with mexican brutalism at large, there are not that many resources available online that expand upon the school’s architectural design, despite the renown of its visionary architect. hernández navarro’s other projects include his architecture workshop, a brutally beautiful building that seems plucked from a star wars set, and house in the air

  • architect: agustín hernández navarro

  • built: 1968

  • use: ballet school

  • address: violeta 31 esq. riva palacio, del. cuauhtémoc, guerrero, 06300 ciudad de méxico, cdmx

 

praxis house

< is this agustín hernández navarro’s best work? you decide

praxis house is the home and studio of mexican architect agustín hernández navarro, who designed it himself. this brutalist building uses concrete, glass, and a design inspired by pre-hispanic architecture to create a unique structure that quite literally stands out from its surroundings

the inverted-pyramid design of praxis actually composed of four prisms rotated on their horizontal axis and was inspired by the beach huts of acapulco. hernández navarro says that the end result is “everything he’s sought in architecture, for structure, form, and function to be united as one”

praxis house - often referred to as praxis or taller de arquitectura - is one of the most radical examples of brutalist architecture in mexico city

read all about praxis house and its design & explore more photos of this brutal building

 

the national auditorium (auditorio nacional)

image showing the mexico city's brutalist auditorio nacional auditorium, a renowned entertainment venue

the national auditorium of mexico is a brutalist entertainment venue located in the country’s capital. here, concert-goers await a performance by cuban songwriter silvio rodríguez

the auditorio nacional (national auditorium) is a brutalist behemoth with a bizarre background. now an emblematic part of mexico city’s culture and architectural diversity, the auditorium served a completely different purpose in its yesteryears before undergoing the transformation that shaped the building into what it is today

the first iteration of this brutal building came into being in the early 1950s as a space dedicated to the equestrian sport, per the auditorium’s official website. according to the site, then-president miguel alemán donated land for the building after a “brilliant” performance by the mexican national equestrian team at the london 1948 olympics. architects fernando parra hernández, fernando beltrán puga, fernando peña castellanos, and óscar de buen came together to design a space that “included stables, rooms for the knights, a granary, and a theater.” the original structure was built out of “riveted iron”, and it was constructed in 1952

image of the façade of the brutalist auditorio nacional in mexico city showcasing the auditorium's name as seen through a sculpture by juan soriano

a shot of part of the auditorium’s 129-meter façade showcasing its name. the sculpture on the forefront is la luna by mexican artist juan soriana. image shot on kodak double x film

today’s auditorium came to be after the national council of culture and arts and the federal district agreed to that it was time to remodel the building. they chose architects teodoro gonzález de león and abraham zabludovsky (the same architects behind the rufino tamayo museum) to lead the project. after a year and a half of construction, the national auditorium as we know it today came to life in 1991

according to admagazine, the building’s concrete façade measures 129 meters (roughly 423 feet) and is supported by two columns. the auditorium has a capacity of 9366 people and has three levels

  • original architects: fernando parra hernández, fernando beltrán puga, fernando peña castellanos, and óscar de buen 

  • built: 1952, remodeled in 1991

  • remodel architects: teodoro gonzález de león and abraham zabludovsky

  • use: auditorium and entertainment center

  • address: av. paseo de la reforma 50, polanco v secc, miguel hidalgo, c.p. 11560, cdmx

ian campo is an architectural photographer specializing in brutalism and the concrete structures that define the style. his work is available for purchase here. follow ian on instagram

 
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brutalismo mexicano y la arquitectura brutalista de la ciudad de méxico