Barragán, Luis

Barragán, Luis

(born March 9, 1902, Guadalajara, Mex.—died Nov. 22, 1988, Mexico City) Mexican engineer and architect. Barragán, who completed his first project in 1927, was strongly influenced by Le Corbusier. In the 1930s he began to create what he called “emotional architecture,” which encouraged meditation and quietude. His designs took on elements that characterize his mature period—natural siting, simple surfaces (such as slabs of concrete), water features, and the use of colour. Barragán designed houses, gardens, plazas, and fountains, most of which were built in Guadalajara and Mexico City. Among his notable works are the Prieto López House, the San Cristóbal Stables/Egerstrom House, and the Gálvez House. In 1980 he won the Pritzker Prize.