MeXiCAn PLAYS with architEcturE anD colour · 2019. 10. 26. · Colegio de San ildefonso in Mexico...

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lEszEk maluga*

MeXiCAnPLAYS with architEcturE anD colour

MekSYkAńSkiezABAWY ArCHiTekTUrąikoLoreM

A b s t r a c t

ColourplaysasignificantroleinMexicanculture.ourstudydealswithfourareasofusingcolourinaspatialcompositiononanarchitecturalandurbanscale.Thesearemurals,i.e.monumentalpaintinginthestructureofarchitecturalobjects,colour-fultraditionalandmodernarchitecture,ornamentalformsandstructures,andcurrenttrendsintherevalorisationofhistoricalcities.

Keywords: Mexican architecture, spatial composition, colour in architecture

S t r e s z c z e n i e

WkulturzeMeksykudużąrolęodgrywakolor.Wopracowaniuukazanoczteryob-szaryzastosowaniakoloruwkompozycjiprzestrzennejwskaliarchitektonicznejiur-banistycznej. Są tomurale, czylimonumentalnemalarstwow strukturze obiektówarchitektonicznych,barwnaarchitekturatradycyjnainowoczesna,formyistrukturydekoracyjneorazaktualnetendencjewrewaloryzacjimiastzabytkowych.

Słowa kluczowe: architektura meksykańska, kompozycja przestrzenna, kolor w architekturze

* Assoc.Prof.Ph.D.D.Sc.Arch.LeszekMaluga,DepartmentofDrawing,PaintingandSculpture,FacultyofArchitecture,WrocławUniversityofTechnology.

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1. Games with space

Constructingisanecessityforsomepeople,forothersitisapleasure–aplaywithspace,material,colour,anintellectual,artistic,aestheticgame.Thisplay,however,shouldfirstofallbringpleasuretoallthoseforwhom–intheauthor’sintention–itiscreated.Thisoughttoinvolvemuchgreaterengagementonthepartoftheauthorthanamerelydispassionatedischargeofprofessionalduties.

reversing the order,wemust state that if architecturemay give pleasure, apart fromsatisfying basic functional needs, then it should be a sort of a game or playwith space.Thiscategorycomprises,inter alia,thecreativeactivityofHundertwasser[3],whotransferspaintingexperiencesontoarchitecturalforms.Worksofauthorsfromart bruttrendcanalsobeperceivedinthisway[11].

Such awide spectrum of gameswith space is present in the architecture ofMexico.Mexicansarepeoplewhoknowhowtoplay.Thisfeaturecanalsobefoundintheirattitudetospace,whereoneoftheformsofexpressionofthisfeatureisthecolourthatispresentineverydaylifeandintheworksofthemostremarkablecreatorsofarchitectureandart.

2. Colour in Mexican culture

ColourinMexicanculturehasalwaysplayedasignificantrole,bothdecorativeandsym-bolic.Sincepre-Hispanictimesthewallsoftemples,ceramicsandutilityapplianceshavebeenpainted.The importanceof colourwas greatwhenmanufacturing fabrics andorna-ments.Thepaletteofcoloursdependedonthepossibilitiesofobtainingmineralororganicdyes.Themodernpossibilitiesofproductionofpaintson thebasisof syntheticdyeshasfacilitatedtheuseofamuchricherpaletteofcolours.Theproductswhichareofferedatfolkartfairsnowadaysaremoreintensiveincolourwhencomparedtothosefromthepast.Asignofourtimesinthecontemporarypublicspacearestreetvendorsofbrightlycolouredorna-mentsandtoyscomingfromChina.HencetheMexicanpeople’sloveofbeingsurroundedbycolours ismanifested invarious forms, i.e. frompopular art andcheapdecorations tosophisticatedworksbythemostprominentartists.

ThemodernarchitectureofMexicohasbecomefamousallovertheworldalsoduetocolour,whichwaselevatedtotheroleofadecisivefactorinaspatialcomposition.Mexicanstheglobalarchitecturaltrendsbyincludinggamesofcolourwithspaceindesignsolutions.

Furtherpartsofthisstudyshalldealwithfourareasofaspatialgamebasedontheuseofcolour:frompaintinginarchitecturalspacetonewtrendsintherevalorisationofhistoricalcities.

3. Murals – painting in the structure of architectural objects

Muralpaintingdevelopedasearlyasinpre-Hispanictimes,mainlyasapictorialdocu-mentationofhistory,beliefsandrituals.Paintingsweremadeontheexternalwallsofpalacesandtemplesaswellasinarchitectural interiors.Spaniardsalsousedmuralpaintingwhenpropagatinganewreligionaspaintingsonwallsofchurchesandmonasterieswereaformofnarrationthatwasunderstandabletotheindians.

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Anewchapterintheuseofpaintinginpublicspaceswasthemuralmovementaftertherevolution,whichchangedpoliticalandsocialrelationsinthecountry.Muralsassuchwerenotagameinconnectionwiththeperformedfunctionofpropagandamessages.However,fromtheformalpointofviewtheyconstitutedagame,witharchitecturebecomingapartofthespatialcontextoftheexisting,oftenhistoricaldevelopment.ThemostfamousworksaremuralsofthegreatestauthorofthethreeremarkableMexicanmuralists–D.rivera(theoth-ersareD.A.SiqueirosandJ.C.orozco)inthestaircaseandcloistersofthePresidentialPalaceinMexicoCity(1929–35),depictingthehistoryofthepre-HispaniccultureofMexico,itsconquest,andcontemporaryrevolutionaryideas(includingreferencestoeuropeanrevolu-tionarythought).

Suchplacementofmuralsinthestaircasesofeleganthistoricalbuildingsarealsotobeseeninothertowns.J.C.orozcopaintedmurals, interalia,onthevaults,e.g. inAntiguoColegio de San ildefonso inMexicoCity (1922) and in the chapelHospicioCabañas inguadalajara(1937–39),includingaspectacularmuralentitled‘Maninflames’ontheinternalsurfaceofthedome.

Startingfromthemid-1950s,somepaintingswerealsomadeonnewstructures,inthiswayconductingacompositionalandartisticgamewithmodernisticforms.AgoodexampleherearethemuralsbyD.A.SiqueirosonthebuildingsofUnAMrector’soffice–anewlybuiltUniversityTowninthesouthofthecapital(1948–1954).

AsaconsequenceofrecognizingthesignificantroleofmuralsinthespatialcultureofMexico,aswellasthehighstatusoftheirartists,somestructuresentirelycoveredbymuralswere also put up.Two spectacular architectural objects belong to this group, namely theUnAMCentralLibrary(1950)andtheculturalcentrePolyforum Cultural Siqueiros(1971).

inthefirstcasetheartistJ.o’gormancoveredthewholerectangularbody,stylizedastheheadofTlaloc–theancientgodofrain,withastonemosaicillustratingthehistoryofmankind,MexicoandtheUniversity’sculturalmission[5](photo1).

inasimilarway,thenearbyUniversityolympicStadiumwastobewhollycoveredbyastonemosaic.D.river–theauthorofthisidea–completedonlyfragmentsofthecompo-sitionabovethemainentrance.Hisdeathin1957putanendtothefurtherrealizationofthework.

ontheotherhand,theseriesofmuralsbySiqueirosonPolyforumwascompletedinitsentirety.Thistwelve-sidedbuildingonitscircumferencewaswhollycoveredbytheartist’spainting(photo2).Moreover, inthemainhallofthecentre–Foro Universal –Siqueirospaintedthebiggestmuralintheworld–March of Humanity–coveringallthewallsandtheceilingofthehall[8].

ThelatestsceneinthegamewithmuralsistherecentlyopenedmuseuminCuernavace–theformerSiqueiros’studioLa TallerainCuernavaca(designedbyF.escobedo,2010).Thedesignerusedmonumentalpaintingsbytheartistasaframefortheentrancezoneofthebuilding.

4. From popular architecture to Barragan and Legorreta

Aspreviouslymentioned,startingfrompre-Hispanictimes,architecturewaspaintedwithcoloursthatcouldbeobtainedinthegivenconditions.Manyfacadesofcolonialhouseswerecoveredinstrongcolours.Theresoluteuseofcoloursonfacadesofhousesisparticularly

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ill.1. J.o’gorman,mosaiconUnAMCentralLibrary,MexicoCity,photobyL.Malugaill.2. D.A.Siqueiros,muralsonPolyforumbySiqueiros,MexicoCity,photobyL.Malugaill.3. J.o’gorman,D.rivera’sandF.kahlo’shouses-studios,MexicoCity,photobyL.Malugaill.4. ChurchinSanFranciscoAcatepec,photobyL.Malugaill.5. J.Senosiain,Conjunto Satélite,source:http://www.arquitecturaorganica.com(access:2015.06.08)ill.6. Streetinizamal,photobyL.Maluga

visibleinindependentlyerecteddevelopments.inhousingestatesanddistrictspopulatedbyout-of-townpeoplewecanobservetothisdaythedominantuseofvividcoloursofwallsandwholebuildings,i.e.red,blue,violet,orangeetc.invariousscalesandshades.

inthemodernarchitectureofMexicoauthoredbyremarkabledesigners,thefirstexam-plesofreferencestotraditionalstrongfolkcolourswerethehouses-studiosofDiegorivera

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andFridakahlodesignedbyJ.o’gormanin1931modelledonLeCorbusier’sfunctionalistdesigns.rivera’shousewaspaintedwhiteandredwhileFridakahlo’sstudiowaspaintedblue[5,p.19](photo3).

AnothertypeofgamewithmodernismwasinitiatedbyL.Barragán.Heusedcolourasanelementdecidingonthestructureofspace,e.g.hisownhouseorCasa Gilardi[7].inhisdesignsheconductedasubtlegamewithcolourandlightinspiredbythefolktraditionofMexicoandbyhisexperiencesfromtravelstoSpainandnorthAfrica.Hisfewrealisa-tions are characterised by combinations of colourful planes and sophisticated details ininteriordesign.

r.Legorretawas thefirst ideologicalheirofBarragán,ashewas thecreatorofmanyrealisationsinMexicoandallovertheworld.Thesearchitecturalobjects,oftenmonumentalinscale,arecharacterisedbytheuseofbigplanesofstrongcolours,sometimesofanar-rowedpaletteofcolours,asagameoftwodominantcolours,attimesalmostmonochromaticcompositions[6].BotharchitectsmadeMexicanarchitecturefamousworldwidethankstoexhibitingagameofcolourfulplanesandsolids.

ThetrendstartedbyBarragániscontinuedbymanycontemporaryMexicanarchitects.Colourfularchitecturalcompositionsarefeaturedinhotelsandtouristcentresundercon-struction, forexample, theWestin Reginahotelcomplex inLosCabos(BajaCalifornia,architectJ.S.Madaleno)andinresidentialarchitecture(e.g.privatevillasinPuebla,de-signedbye.Acuña[2]).Thissortofplaywithcolourhasalsobecomeafeatureofarchi-tecturalobjectsandinteriorsallovertheworldreferringtoMexicanculture(e.g.Mexicanrestaurants).

5. From tequitqui art to Senosiaina

Two important elements of Mexican culture originated during the colonial period.ontheonehand,artsandcraftsconnectedwithceramicsdevelopedinPuebla(talavera,azulejos).ontheotherhand,atypeofartwasdevelopedcalledtequitqui,interalia,folkbaroque(barrocopopular),whichwasacombinationofpre-Hispanic(indian)aestheticsandChristianity [1]. inPuebla itself and in the surroundingareaceramics started tobeusedtofaceconstructionsurfaces(facades,domes,floors).Firstofall,numerouschurcheswere adorned by colourful ceramics, paintedwith vivid colours and complemented bysculptured details with folk art aesthetics. This almost fairy-tale character can be seeninachurchthatwasparticularlyrichlyadornedwithceramics,namelyinSanFranciscoAcatepec(photo4).

Thisfolkandludiccharacterofarchitecturecanbefoundinmodernseculararchitecturetoo,atleastasagamewithnewaestheticmessages.

J.o’gorman,whomadethemosaicsonthebuildingofUnAMLibrary,atthesametimestartedbuildinghisownhouse (completed in1956,nownon-existent). in thewallcompositionandtheresidentialandgardenspacethearchitect-artistintroducedsoftshapesandnumerousnarration elements referring to pre-Hispanic culture and forces of nature(snakes,birds,mysteriousfigures),whichweremadeasamosaicwithcolourfulstones.inthisparticularcase,thenewformandaestheticswereconnectedwitho’gorman’sfascina-tionwithorganicarchitecture(F.L.Wright)andtheaestheticsofartisticcreativityofA.gaudi[5,p.64].

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Similarly in our times, J. Senosiain designs architectural objects which he placesin the trends of organicity and regionalism. His houses of biomorphic and zoomor-phic shapes [9] are richly adornedwith plastic structures (painted surfaces,mosaics,stainedglass)and theysuggest fairytale likeplaywitharchitecture (photo5) [4].TheartisticforminthiscaseseemstodefinitelydominateovertheideologicalpremisesofSenosiain’screativity[10].

6. “Magic towns”

Yet another peculiar case of playwith colour is connectedwith the program ‘Magictowns’(Pueblos Mágicos),whichhasbeenimplementedforseveralyearsandwhoseaimistoactivatelocaleconomiesbydevelopingtourism,forinstance.Withintheactivitiesaimedatcreatingatown’simage,auniformcolourschemeofhousefacadesinhistoricaltowncen-tresisprepared.Theseareusuallysmalltownsinthecolonialtradition[9].

ThisgroupdoesnotcomprisecitieswhichareenteredintheUneSCoWorldHeritageListsuchasguanajuato,SanMigueldeAllende,TlacotalpánorCampeche.Theyconstitute,however,aconceptualreferencetoactionscarriedoutinothertowns.

AspecialcaseisCampeche,whereinthe1990snewrulesfortherevalorizationofhis-toricaltownswereproclaimed.inthe1980sitwasstillawhitetown.Todayitaboundswitharichpaletteofpastelcolours.Tlacotalpán,ontheotherhand,ismottledwithdifferentcol-ours.inturn,SanMigueldeAllende,whichbelongedtothePueblos Mágicos group untilitwasenteredintheUneSCoWorldHeritageListin2008,ischaracterizedbytherequirementtomaintainapaletteofafewshadesofbrownonthefacadesofthehistoricalcentre:fromochretochocolatebrown.

intheparticularcitiesfromthelistof‘Magictowns’individualcolourconceptshavebeenrealized.inPatzcuarowhitewallsarerequiredabovethebrownpanelling.inizamalinYucatanthereisarequirementofyellow-ochrewallswithwhiteelementsofcornices,pilasters, portals orwindowbands (photo 6).Also inYucatan inValladolid there is norestriction as to using colours as long as a uniform pastel shade for a given façade ismaintained.

Thiscolourschemeorderensuresspatialcoherence,butatthesametimeitintroducesasenseofartificiality.However,thisartificialitymaybeperceivedasapositiveplaywithspaceandarchitectureandiscertainlyanattractivewayofpackaginga‘touristproduct’.

7. Summary

Theexamplespresentedin thisstudybynomeansgiveafullpictureof thescaleandrankofcolourinshapingarchitecturalandurbanspaces,becausethefullperceptionofthisenvironmentisconditionedbyatotaloffactorswhichalsoinclude,amongotherthings,theubiquitousfolkart,lushnatureandthespeciallightofthetropicalzone.inthelandscapeoftheMexicanprovince,cultureismanifestedbycolourfulchurchdomesaswellasbysinglesimplearchitecturalforms,sometimeswhite,moreoftencoveredbyastrongcolour.ThiscolourfularchitecturehasitsbackgroundintheMexicanlandscapewhichstretchesbetweenthelushtropicalgreeneryandsun-burneddryplateaus.

Thisgameofarchitecturewithcolourconstitutes thespecificityof theuniqueculturallandscapeofMexico.itexpressestheunusualandoptimisticnatureofMexicanpeople.AndforvisitorstoMexicoitisanenvironmentthatinspires,emanatesenergy,andevokesaposi-tiveattitudetothespatialenvironment.

r e f e r e n c e s

[1] AlfaroM.,M.S.Alévalo,Barroco popular (o tequitqui) en los espacios monásticos de la Sierra Alta y Altiplano: ¿Un producto mestizo?,http://www.iifilologicas.unam.mx/pnovohispano(access:2013.10.13).

[2] Arquitectura poblana,Puebla2010.[3] Hundertwasser. Architektur,koln1997.[4] Javier Senosiain. Arquitectura Orgánica, http://www.arquitecturaorganica.com (ac-

cess:2015.06.04).[5] JimenezV.,Juan O’Gorman. Vida y obra,México2004.[6] Legorreta + Legorreta,Barcelona2002.[7] MolinayVediaJ.,Luis Barragán. Paraisos-Paradises,Madrid2001.[8] Polyforum Siqueiros,http://polyforumsiqueiros.com.mx(dostęp:2015.06.04).[9] Pueblos Mágicos,http://www.sectur.gob.mx/pueblos-magicos(access:2015.06.04).[10] SenosiainJ.,Bio-Architecture,oxford2003.[11] TaschenA.(red.),D.vonSchaewen,J.Maizels,Fantasy Worlds,köln2007.