Modernist Icons Shift: Luis Barragán's Mexico Masterpiece Prepares for a Fresh Start

In the heart of Mexico, an equestrian estate designed by the renowned Mexican architect Luis Barragán is set to undergo a significant transformation. The estate, Cuadra San Cristóbal, northeast of Mexico City, will be developed into a multi-layered cultural campus by internationally acclaimed architect Fernando Romero.

Romero, part of a post-OMA generation of international designers who studied under Rem Koolhaas, has been discussing the transformation of Cuadra San Cristóbal with the estate's owner for several years. His goal is to turn the home into a house museum and a cultural resource for art and architecture through his non-profit organisation, Fundación Fernando Romero.

The development, scheduled to fully open to visitors in October 2025, will feature an early preview during Zona Maco 2025, with an artist experience by Marina Abramović. The compound, which covers more than seven acres and is primarily landscape, will include a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Luis Barragán, an artist residency program, a gallery for the Archivo Collection of design objects, additional galleries, temporary installations, a podcast production studio, a library, a multi-purpose event venue, a gift shop, and a coffee shop.

Romero sees Cuadra San Cristóbal as a masterpiece of Mexican modernist architecture and believes that preserving and making it relevant for future generations is timely and necessary, given the damage caused by earthquakes in 2017 and 2022 in Mexico.

The planned development, over a projected ten-year period, will also see internationally acclaimed architects, including Kengo Kuma, Tadao Ando, Bjarke Ingels, and 2025 RIBA Gold Medal winners SANAA, contributing to the master plan by designing spaces and pavilions.

Design studio Pentagram has developed a brand identity for Cuadra, centering around a typeface inspired by the ironwork letters on the building's exterior wall and incorporating a color scheme of Mexican pink, mid-pink, light pink, and black.

While information about the owner of Cuadra San Cristóbal and Fernando Romero's plans to transform the equestrian facility into a cultural center for art and architecture is not widely available, the website for the project can be found at fr-ee.org.

Visitors can look forward to a unique cultural experience at Cuadra San Cristóbal, with its residence, horse stables, and famous horse pool with a pink, trough-like fountain, all set to be preserved and protected as part of the development. The estate promises to be a hub for creativity, fostering a connection with Mexican modernist architecture and its legacy for generations to come.

Modernist Icons Shift: Luis Barragán's Mexico Masterpiece Prepares for a Fresh Start