It came a year ago the announcement that La Cuadra San Cristóbal would become a public cultural center; now, on the occasion of Mexico City Art Week 2026, the building officially opens with an exhibition dedicated precisely to Luis Barragán, author of that splendid villa designed near Mexico City and inspired by the ranch typology.
The residence, completed in 1968, covers nearly three hectares and includes, in addition to living quarters, stables, a monumental fountain, a barn, a paddock, and extensive grazing areas. Plans for the future of this space include the inclusion of new pavilions, designed by internationally renowned architects such as Kengo Kuma. These new structures will help reinvent the complex as a living and versatile cultural hub, ready to host events, exhibitions and art projects of all kinds. Meanwhile, La Cuadra is hosting its first exhibition.
The cultural center directed by Fernando Romero, entrusted the curatorship of "Barragán en Barragán" to architect Jorge Covarrubias. The contents of the exhibition extend beyond the boundaries of La Cuadra, including Casa Gálvez, Casa-Estudio Barragán and the chapel of the Capuchin Convent. The research allows us to grasp the complexity of Barragán's work, revealing a deeply personal approach, the formal outcome of which is manifested in the refined compositional and chromatic sensibility. His work blends vernacular elements, modern principles, sacred art and natural landscapes in an architecture aimed at serenity, contemplation and emotional intensity.
The design of the villa-ranch emblematically represents the poetics of the architect who was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1980: a language that feeds on traditional Mexican architecture, with whitewashed walls, brightly colored courtyards and references to rural life, such as troughs, barns and country courtyards, transformed into compositional elements of extraordinary aesthetic strength.
The special feature lies in celebrating Luis Barragán within one of his masterpieces. This exhibition focuses on the evolution of his work, from large modern buildings to the development of his personal language, which allowed him to create a true collection of masterpieces.
Fernando Romero
This is the first exhibition on Barragán to be produced by a Mexican team, and it offers an exhibition itinerary that brings together architectural models, photographs by various authors, as well as artwork (by Chucho Reyes and Doctor Atl, among others) useful for contextualizing the Mexican architect's work.
At the same time, in the spaces of La Cuadra, an exhibition dedicated to Félix González-Torres puts his works in dialogue with the architecture of Barragán. The artist's works, often made with poor materials or everyday objects, interact with courtyards, walls characterized by intense colors and modulations of light and shadow.
Opening image: The work "Untitled" (Sagitario), 1994-1995 by Felix Gonzalez-Torres at La Cuadra by Luis Barragán. Courtesy Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation and La Cuadra. Photo Gerardo Landa & Eduardo Lopez - GLR Estudio.