Santa Fe University of Art and Design and the Santa Fe Art Institute recently announced the Ricardo Legorreta Tribute event, a weekend of activities across the city honoring Legorreta’s influence on Santa Fe design. Taking place October 19-20, the event will include a series of lectures, films and tours that will honor the legacy of the late Mexican architect whose inspired designs have helped shape the landscape of many residential, academic and corporate buildings in Santa Fe. More information on the event after the break.
The prominent Legorreta buildings in Santa Fe include SFUAD’s Visual Arts Center, the SFAI, Thornburg Investment Management, and the Zocalo Condominiums. All structures are representative of Legorreta’s signature design aesthetic, which includes geometric shapes, bright colors and plays on light and shadow. Khristaan Villela, an art historian and professor in SFUAD’s Art Department who has written several articles and a book about Legorreta’s work, says that SFUAD’s architectural identity is largely based on Legorreta’s architecture; the colors of the Visual Arts Center are prominent across campus, and the university’s logo centers around colorful, geometric shapes of buildings.
The weekend’s first event is an exhibition opening at the SFAI, curated by Simón De Agüero, which will feature Legorreta drawings and models from the SFAI and SFUAD buildings. Featured speaker Victor Legorreta will talk candidly about his legendary father, whose most famous designs are the Camino Real Hotel in Mexico City and the IBM factory in Guadalajara, Mexico. Throughout his career, Ricardo Legorreta received several prestigious awards for his design work, including the UIA Gold Medal, the AIA Gold Medal and Japan’s Praemium Imperiale. He passed away in late 2011.
Villela will also present during the tribute event, along with Wayne Lloyd, president of Lloyd & Associates Architects. Lloyd has been a major player in the New Mexico architecture scene, winning numerous design awards. His international experience includes collaboration with the firm Legorreta + Legorreta, and he served as one of the architects of record for the SFAI and SFUAD Visual Arts Center.
Friday, Oct. 19
4 p.m. – Exhibition opening (curated by architect Simón De Agüero) and reception for Ricardo Legorreta and Santa Fe (Santa Fe Art Institute) 6 p.m. – Screening of a Legorreta memorial video, “Ricardo Legorreta’s Biographical Path,” a presentation by Victor Legorreta about his father’s work, and a talk by Wayne Lloyd called “Experiencing the Legorreta Design Process” (Tipton Hall on the SFUAD campus) 7:30 p.m. – Dinner (Santa Fe Art Institute)
Saturday, Oct. 20
11 a.m. – Khristaan Villela lecture, “Mexican Modernism: The Architecture of Ricardo Legorreta” (Tipton Hall on the SFUAD campus) 12 p.m. – Guided tour of SFUAD’s Visual Arts Center 1–5 p.m. – Self-guided tours of SFAI, SFUAD and Zocalo Condominiums 1:45, 2:30, and 3:15 p.m. – Scheduled, guided tours of the Thornburg Investment Management building 5 p.m. – Closing reception (Zocalo Condominiums)
The event is held in coordination with Thornburg Investment Management, the Zocalo Condominiums, Lloyd & Associates Architects, Spears Architects, Martinez Architecture Studio and the City of Santa Fe.
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