Mexico City's La Cuadra, a modernist landmark designed by Luis Barragán, enters a new phase in its history.
Transforming Cuadra San Cristobal into a Cultural Hub
Cuadra San Cristobal, a multi-layered cultural campus, is set to unfold in Mexico City over the next ten years. This ambitious project, spearheaded by architect Fernando Romero, aims to preserve and showcase the work of Luis Barragán, a renowned Mexican architect and artist.
Romero's vision includes transforming Cuadra San Cristobal, an equestrian estate designed by Barragán, into a house museum. The estate, covering more than seven acres and primarily landscape, was once rural and is now northeast of Mexico City.
Internationally acclaimed architects, such as Kengo Kuma, Tadao Ando, Bjarke Ingels, SANAA (2025 RIBA Gold Medal winners), and a post-OMA generation designer, Romero, are involved in the project's future development.
Cuadra San Cristobal was built between 1966 and 1968 for the Egerström family. The estate includes a residence, horse stables, and a famous horse pool with a pink, trough-like fountain. Romero plans to transform this cultural resource into a platform for art and architecture through his non-profit organization, Fundación Fernando Romero.
Upon opening in October 2025, the first phase will feature a permanent exhibition on Barragán, curated by Jorge Covarrubias. Visitors can also look forward to an artist residency program, a gallery for design objects, additional galleries, temporary installations, a podcast production studio, a library, a multi-purpose event venue, a gift shop, and a coffee shop.
The design studio Pentagram has developed a brand identity for Cuadra San Cristobal, incorporating a color scheme and typeface inspired by the building's exterior. Romero's residence, designed by architect Francisco Artigas, reflects the effortless flow of inside and outside common to California and Mexican modernism, as seen in Artigas' glassy L-shaped structure wrapped around a courtyard reflecting pool.
Romero's enthusiasm to protect Barragán's work is timely and necessary in this context. Mexico has faced numerous earthquakes in recent years, damaging numerous structures. While preservation efforts are primarily focused on archaeological sites and Spanish Colonial buildings, the need for conservation, care, and a legacy plan for 20th-century great works of architecture, such as Barragán's, is becoming increasingly important.
For updates on the project, visit fr-ee.org. During Zona Maco 2025, visitors will have an early preview featuring Marina Abramović. The opening of Cuadra San Cristobal will mark a significant milestone in the preservation and celebration of Mexican modernist architecture.
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