Luis Barragán

Luis Barragán (1902-1988) was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. He trained professionally in engineering, graduating at the age of 23. He taught himself his architectural skills. In the 1920s, he travelled extensively in France and Spain, and in 1931 he lived in Paris for a time, attending Le Corbusier's lectures. His stay in Europe and later in Morocco stimulated his interest in the indigenous architecture of North Africa and the Mediterranean, which he related to construction in his own country.

In the late 1920s, he became associated with a movement known as the Escuela Tapatía or the Guadalajara School, which advocated a theory of architecture dedicated to vigorous adherence to regional traditions. His architectural practice was based in Guadalajara from 1927 until 1936, when he moved to Mexico City, where he remained until his death. His work has been classified as minimalist, yet it is opulent in colour and texture. Pure planes, whether stucco walls, adobe, wood or even water, are its compositional elements, all interacting with nature.

Barragán defined himself as a landscape architect, and wrote in the book "Contemporary Architects" (Muriel Emanuel (ed.) published by St. Martins Press, 1980): "I believe that architects should design gardens that are used, as much as the houses they build, to develop a sense of beauty and taste and an inclination towards the fine arts and other spiritual values". He also said: "Any work of architecture that does not express serenity is a mistake".

Barragán was a religious man and both he and his work have been described as "mystical" as well as serene. His chapel for the Capuchin Sisters of the Sacrament is evidence of both qualities. Because of his interest in horses, he designed many stables, fountains and troughs that manifest many of these qualities.

Barragán has had a profound influence not only on three generations of Mexican architects, but on many more around the world. When he accepted the Pritzker Architecture Prize he said: "It is impossible to understand art and the glory of its history without recognising the religious spirituality and mythical roots that lead us to the very raison d'être of the artistic phenomenon. Without either, there would be no Egyptian pyramids, nor those of ancient Mexico. Would there have been Greek temples and Gothic cathedrals?"

He also described as "alarming" that publications devoted to architecture seemed to have banished the words "beauty, inspiration, magic, enchantment, as well as the concepts of serenity, silence, intimacy and wonder". He apologised for not having done justice to these concepts, but said that "they have never ceased to be my reference points". In closing his speech, he spoke of the art of seeing. "It is essential for an architect to know how to see, to see in such a way that the vision is not overwhelmed by rational analysis".

We honour Luis Barragán for his commitment to architecture as a sublime act of poetic imagination. He has created gardens, squares and fountains of haunting beauty, metaphysical landscapes for meditation and companionship.

A stoic acceptance of solitude as man's destiny pervades Barragán's work. His loneliness is cosmic, with Mexico as a temporary abode that he accepts with love. It is to the greater glory of this earthly house that he has created gardens where man can find peace with himself, and a chapel where his passions and desires can be forgiven and his faith proclaimed. The garden is the myth of the Beginning and the chapel is the myth of the End. For Barragán, architecture is the form that man gives to his life between the two extremes.