A landmark Guadalajara house designed by a Pritzker Prize winning architect will soon open its doors as – guess what – a taco restaurant!
The Casa Robles Castillo on ritzy Avenida Vallarta was built in 1927 by famed architect Luis Barragán at the age of 25.
Barragan moved to Mexico City and went on to become the nation’s most famous architect, with his minimalist, conceptual style having a major influence on his contemporaries. He won the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s premier award, in 1980.
The house is part of Jalisco’s “Cultural Patrimony” and its new tenant, Juan Carlos Rendón, had to sign an agreement not to make any structural modifications to the building.
Rendón admitted that he had no idea about the property’s architectural history when he decided to rent it for his taco business. He said he now plans to print some fliers to hand out to diners explaining the building’s background and that of its architect.
Rendón’s first task before opening will be to paint over the unattractive tags sprayed on the exterior walls by graffiti artists.