Mexico City A Guide to Recent Architecture Book

Visitors arriving in Mexico for the first time are usually overwhelmed by the color and the variety of every aspect of Mexican life, a striking contrast to the USA. The twentieth-century architecture of Mexico reflects this richness in a unique blend of local, exotic traditions andinternational avant-garde design. Mexico City, by far the most influential place in the country, provides the best introduction to this architecture. Projects illustrated here include many types of buildings, architectural styles and development imperatives. Most are from the last 10 years with an increasing inventory as we approach the present and a few earlier buildings of exceptional influence are included. Inevitably, in a country where there are extremes of wealth and poverty, most of the buildings included are either for government institutions or for wealthy corporate or private clients. Some innovative work has been and is being done on low-cost housing - both new buildings and renovations, and improvements to existing areas and squatter settlements - work of overriding importance to the vast majority of the citizens of Mexico City.