Luis Barragan

Luis Ramiro Barragan Morfin was a Mexican architect and engineer who lived from 1902 to 1988 and whose work profoundly influenced contemporary design. Born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, he initially absorbed European modernism after visiting Le Corbusier, but developed an approach he called emotional architecture, rejecting strict functionalist doctrine and stating that any work of architecture that does not express serenity is a mistake. His work combines raw materials with dramatic, sophisticated use of light, color and spatial relationships. Notable projects include the Torres de Satelite, built in 1957 and 1958 with the sculptor Mathias Goeritz, Casa Gilardi, the Jardines del Pedregal subdivision, and his own home, the Luis Barragan House and Studio, completed in 1948. He received the Pritzker Prize in 1980, becoming its second recipient, and his house was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.