In October 2025, the Fernando Romero Foundation will officially open the doors of La Cuadra San Cristóbal, one of the late projects of Mexican architect and Pritzker Prize winner Luis Barragán. The goal is to transform the architectural complex into a cultural campus open to the public, with a curatorial program focused on exploring the dynamic interaction between architecture and art.
The project, known as Cuadra San Cristóbal, was built between 1966 and 1968 and includes a house, a stables building, and auxiliary facilities such as the Fuente de los Amantes (Fountain of the Lovers). The complex showcases characteristic elements of Barragán's Latin American modernism, including his use of color and the integration of shadows, textures, and sounds into the experience of space.
The original project was situated on a plot of nearly three hectares in Los Clubes, a residential neighborhood in what was once a rural area northeast of Mexico City. In 2024, the property was acquired by the foundation led by architect Fernando Romero, and now in 2025, its opening process began with an exterior intervention and a lecture by performance artist Marina Abramović.
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Spotlight: Luis BarragánThe space will be equipped with pavilions (including a wooden structure by Kengo Kuma), galleries, a podcast recording studio, and other facilities for a broad range of creative activities. The activation plan includes residencies, events, and exhibitions featuring international guests whose work "redefines the boundaries between architecture, art, and design", an interdisciplinary and creative crossover between ways of seeing, doing, and thinking.
This new cultural space will also house Archivo Diseño y Arquitectura (Design and Architecture Archive), a collection of more than 1,300 Mexican and international design objects assembled by Fernando Romero since 2012. Cuadra San Cristóbal's inaugural event will feature the launch of a permanent exhibition on Barragán, curated by architect Jorge Covarrubias, offering a retrospective of key works such as Prieto López House, Gálvez House, and Torres de Satélite.
This initiative provides an opportunity to explore a representative work of Latin American modernism while offering a closer look at the legacy of Luis Barragán. Two of his most renowned projects, Gilardi House and his own Casa-Estudio in Mexico City, also function today as cultural centers and museums. The Barragán Foundation has further contributed to preserving his work by compiling a collection of his drawings and design notes, reinforcing its ongoing efforts to disseminate his legacy.
