Jardines del Pedregal

Jardines del Pedregal (English: "Rocky Gardens") or simply El Pedregal is an upscale residential "colonia" (neighborhood) in southern Mexico City. Its borders are San Jerónimo Av and C.U. at the north, Insurgentes Av at the east and Periférico at south and west. Its convert|1250|acre|km2 were the major real estate project undertaken by Mexican modernist architect Luis Barragán. When it was originally developed, in the mid 40’s in the lava fields of El Pedregal de San Angel, it was probably the biggest urban development the city has seen.

The area has changed a lot since its original development but even as its modernist spirit and its original elements of ecosystem protection are gone critics have described its original development, the houses and gardens as a turning point in Mexican architecture. Some of the old modernist houses have been catalogued as part of Mexico’s national patrimony.

History

The Pedregal lava fields were formed by the eruption of the Xitle volcano around the year 5000 BC, however there are documented eruptions up to the year 400 AD.

Early History

The area near what is currently el Pedregal, called Cuicuilco, was inhabited since ca. 1700 BC. Around 300 BC this area contained what was probably the biggest city in the Valley of Mexico at the time. Its importance started to decay around the 100 BC and was completely empty by 400 AD.

For centuries the area was a wilderness, the Aztecs would condemn people to banishment by sending them there to be bitten by the rattle snakes that lived there.

Urban Development

In the mid 1940's Luis Barragan began a project to urbanise the area and protect the its ecosystem. Barragán had the idea of developing El Pedregal promoting the "harmony" between architecture and landscape. The firsts structures built on the site were the Plaza de las Fuentes, or Plaza of the Fountains, the Lote Muestra, or demonstration gardens and demonstration houses by Barragán and Max Cetto.

Plaza de las Fuentes

El Pedregal's original main entrance, the Plaza de las Fuentes, was completed by the second half of 1949, it stood at the intersection of Fuentes avenue and San Jerónimo. The only remaining element of the plaza is the concrete "Animal del Pedregal" a sculpture by Mathias Goeritz, inspired by a prehistoric animal figure etched into the rocks of El Pedregal.

Lote muestra and demonstration houses

The Lote muestra, was located on the north side of Cascada Street, between Agua street and Fuentes avenue, just south of the Plaza de las Fuentes. Though designed for public inspection, the gardens here were planned as models for the development of private space. Along with the Demonstration houses, these gardens were intended to entice prospective buyers and demonstrate the Pedregal's potential as a site for garden-homes. They were to illustrate Barragán's idea of "correct" building, promoting the sort of "harmony" between architecture and landscape that Barragán desired. Occupying about convert|7.4|acre|m2, the Lote Muestra were enclosed by volcanic-stone walls and iron fences and entered through metal or rough-hewn wood gates.

During summer evenings in the 1950s, classic Spanish plays, produced by Barragán and the painter and sculptor Juan Soriano, were performed here for the general public.

Landscape

For sculptural effect, rocks and vegetation were left largely in place, crevices between the lava formations were cleared as paths, and at several points, rough-cut stairways passed between rock terraces. These stairways led to pools or fountains of various configurations, or to small patches of flat ground, where loam was brought in and lawns planted. The smooth surfaces of the lawns and pools provided contrast to the jagged rocks, while fountains lent kinetic and aural elements to the mix.

Today

Although some of the original modernist residences still remain a lot of the original architecture has been substituted by more ostentatious structures. Because the original houses were built in large plots, some have been converted to horizontal condominiums or now house schools.

The Plaza de las Fuentes has been almost completely destroyed and large new office buildings now crowd it on either side, it is no longer the main entrance but just an exit street from El Pedregal. At some point after 1953, the lote muestra was divided and sold to accommodate private residences. Though the grounds of these may still contain portions of Barragán's design, all are now closed to the public.

Currently there is an exposition called “La Arquitectura del Pedregal” (the Architecture of El Pedregal) at the Mexico City’s Museo Nacional de Arquitectura.

External links

*Article [http://www.architectureweek.com/2002/1204/culture_1-2.html Remembering a Barragán Landscape] on [http://www.architectureweek.com Architectureweek] .