Luis Barragán’s House and Studio

Architect Luis Barragán’s house and studio is known for the way it brings together traditional, artistic, and philosophical tendencies from both the Mediterranean—seen in the use of water, gardens, and landscaping—and from Mexico—evident in the colors and materials. It has been a World Heritage site since 2004, making it one of the few Latin American houses to have received this distinction individually. 

When entering, you are first struck by the bright pink wall in the vestibule that is lit by natural light. Then, the wood-beamed living room looks out on the garden through its enormous window divided in four panes. 

To take a look at the music room, you will have to go up the cantilevered wood staircase that has inspired so many other Mexican architects. 

On the top floor is the rooftop terrace, with its high pink and terracotta walls. 

The land where the compound was built was bought in 1939, and the house was built between 1943 and 1948. Barragán never finished designing his residence. It became more of a design laboratory where he continually experimented with the spaces until his death in 1988.