Building Plans

Discover Mexico City by creating an itinerary that takes you to some of its most iconic architectural sites

- Tracy Lynn Chemaly

Visits to Mexico City are usually planned around taco stands, mezcal bars and market visits. However, must-do lists filled with building names can provide just as much excitement as they lead to rock-star architects, revolutionary painters and intriguing historical tales. We recommend you insert these architectural destinations into Google Maps the next time you land in Mexico’s capital city. DISCOVER LUIS BARRAGÁN’S WORK

Mexico’s late Pritzker Prize-winning architect is revered the world over for his clean-lined, minimal Modernism and ability to relate outdoor spaces to interior architecture. Book the guided tour of Luis Barragán’s house and studio (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and you’ll come face to face with his innovative use of natural and artificial light as well as his ability to play with bold colour.

If you prefer free-styling, grab one of the many app-accessed bicycles in the city and ride through the leafy Condesa suburb in search of some of Barragán’s smaller residential projects. Find their addresses on the barragan-foundation.org website.

BE A BOOKWORM

Entering Biblioteca Vasconcelos feels like stepping into the lower level of an immense cruise ship and seeing it piled high with books. This monumental public library in downtown Mexico City will impress even those who don’t care much for reading.