AIA Albuquerque Mexican Architecture
The AIA Albuquerque Mexican Architecture Tour has been designed by distinguished Mexican architect Felipe Leal, 1997-2005 Dean of the School of Architecture of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Mr. Leal has over 21 years of experience as design professor in the same school and has taught at the University of Uruguay, the UPC in Cataluña, the University of Minnesota, the Architecture School of Paris Belleville and Columbia University, among others. Currently, he coordinates the design and construction of all the new buildings for the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Has been in private practice for over 30 years and his work has been extensively published in national and international books and magazines.
The Albuquerque Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) is offering an architecture tour for architects, professionals and community members who are interested in experiencing Mexican architecture from Pre-Hispanic to Contemporary. The tour is limited to 24 participants and is managed by Royal Road Tours; a non-profit organization dedicated to educational and cultural tours in the U.S. and Mexico in conjunction with AIA Albuquerque. Royal Road Tours is handling all of the land arrangements of the tour and will process the registrations and payments for participants. Tari Carlson is the Royal Road Tours contact and she can be reached by phone at 800-344-2998 as well as email: tcarlson@royalroadtours.com.
This itinerary is designed to introduce tour participants to the rich tradition of Contemporary and Modern Mexican architecture in Mexico City. Examples of the works by outstanding Mexican architects will include Luis Barragan, Pedro Ramirez Vasquez, Juan O'Gorman, Mario Pani, Teodoro Gonzalez de Leon, Abraham Zublodovsky and Ricardo Legorreta. Significantly, this itinerary also aspires to introduce participants to an exciting new generation of contemporary Mexican architects, which include Felipe Leal, Alberto Kalach, Javier Sanchez, Issac Broid, Pancho Serrano and Enrique Norten. The tour will include examples of Pre-Hispanic and Colonial architecture providing participants with an ample overview of the strong historic and cultural roots that have influenced Mexican architecture.
35 AIA Continuing Education credits will be available to eligible tour participants.
Hotel Camino Real – Designed by AIA Gold Medal Award winner and internationally acclaimed Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta, this hotel is three blocks from Paseo de la Reforma and Chapultepec Park, with the Chapultepec Castle visible from a rooftop ballroom.
Cecilia Portal will be the Tour Manager and will be with the group in Mexico City. She has been the AIA Albuquerque Executive Director for the past five years and lived in Mexico City for over 23 years.
Sunday, October 28
Arrive in Mexico City – Hotel Camino Real
7 pm – Evening Reception at the Hotel Camino Real
Monday, October 29
8 am – Breakfast at the Hotel Camino Real.
Morning – Tlaltelolco: 1960s macro-development including Siqueiros mural and Plaza of Three Cultures
Lunch – Restaurante Casa Lamm in the Colonia Roma
Visit to El Eco Museum, designed by Mathias Goeritz and recently reopened. Coffee at the terrace of the Habita Hotel, designed by Enrique Norten
Evening – Dinner on your own
Guide for the day: Carla Mendoza is a graduate of the School of Architecture of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, she received a scholarship to participate in the academic exchange at Howard University in Washington D.C. She also received a scholarship from CLEFA (The Latin American Conference of Architecture Colleges and Schools) to attend the University of Mar del Plata, Argentina. Ms. Mendoza was the 2002-2003 recipient of the FONCA (National Fund for Arts and Culture) Grant. Currently she is the Special Projects Planning Coordinator of the School of Architecture of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Tuesday, October 30
8 am – Breakfast at the Hotel Camino Real, tour registration and Lecture: Contemporary Mexican Architecture an Overview. Lecture by Alejandro Hernández Gálvez, a graduate of the School of Architecture of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He was the recipient of the1994-1995 FONCA (National Fund for Arts and Culture) Grant. He was a finalist for the architecture competitions for the 2000 Zocalo Rehabilitation Project as well as the 2003 competition for the José Vasconcelos Library. His work has been published in Mexico's Arquine, Praxis, La Tempestad, Letras Libres, Pic Nic, and Spot to name a few. He is regular contributor of Mexico's daily newspaper Reforma. He is an associate professor the University Iberoamericana and the University Anahuac.
Morning – Morning walking tour Downtown Centro Historico (Historic District), Cathedral, Palacio Nacional, Museum of Belles Artes, Torre Latinoamericana.
Lunch – El Cardenal
Afternoon – Contemporary and modern architecture buildings designed by renowned Mexican architect Luis Barragan. We will visit Barragan House and Studio, Ortega's Garden and Gilardi House
Evening – Dinner on your own
Guide for the day: Gerardo Guizar
Wednesday, October 31
8 am – Breakfast at the Hotel Camino Real
Morning – Walking tour Chapultepec Park and the Museum of Anthropology
Lunch – Casa del Lago Restaurant
Afternoon – Walking tour continues Rufino Tamayo Museum and Museo de Arte Moderno
Evening – Dinner on your own
Guide for the day: Carla Mendoza
Thursday, November 1
8 am – Breakfast at the Hotel Camino Real
9 am – Mexican Architecture, a Style and a Vision: what makes it so unique? Speaker Humberto Ricalde received his bachelors in architecture in 1966 from the UNAM Mexico's National Autonomous University and a graduate degree in the Check Republic. Mr. Ricalde studied urban design and history of architecture in Italy. He has worked in Finland, Liechtensein and Italy. He is faculty at the UNAM Mexico's National Autonomous University where he teaches architectural history and theory and architectural projections at the Max Cetto studio. He is a contributor in the Mexican architecture and urbanism magazines "Traza" and "Arquitectura."
Morning – Visit La Megabiblioteca, (New Library) designed by Alberto Kalach
Afternoon – Condesa: walking tour of art deco, functionalist buildings and new apartment buildings( Isaac Broid, Sanchez-Higuera, Norten) around Parque México and Amsterdam avenue.
Evening – Dinner on your own
Guide for the day: Carla Mendoza
Friday, November 2
8 am – Breakfast at the Hotel Camino Real
Morning – Capuccinas Convento by Luis Barragan, Mexican Modern Architecture - Félix Candela, Church of Miraculous Medal (1953) Mario Pani, Benito Juarez Housing Project (1947-49,first in city) Juan O'Gorman and Diego Rivera, Casa de Augusto Alvarez in San Angel, Center of San Angel, Anahuacalli (1945 on).
Lunch – Los Danzantes in Coyoacán
Afternoon – Mercado de Coyoacán [Ramírez Vásquez] Frida Kahlo House, Juan O'Gorman, Rivera-Kahlo Studios (1931-32) University Campus (opened 1954) Casa Max Cetto, first one in el Pedregal, Casa Prieto Lopez, Barragan. Iglesia de la Santa Cruz, Villagran Atollini. Visit the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) altars in Coyoacan.
Evening – Farewell Reception at the Perez Gay/Rossbach Residence designed by Felipe Leal
Guide for the day: Carla Mendoza
Saturday, November 3
8 am – Breakfast at the Hotel Camino Real
Morning departure to Mexico City International Airport