Casa Pedregal / Luis Barragán

The Jardines del Pedregal de San Ángel was a deserted area outside central Mexico City. The area is covered in dense lava from the Xitle volcano, which erupted thousands of years ago.

Luis Barragan saw the potential in the landscape, purchased some property, and in the 1940s created a plan for Pedregal. This included land for development and open space. Some of Mexico's great modern architects, Like Max Cetto, Francisco Artigas, Enrique Castañeda Tamborrell, José María Buendía, Antonio Attolini, Fernando Ponce Pino, Oscar Urrutia and Manuel Rosen constructed homes in Pedregal. This included the Casa Prieto-López (1949) by Luis Baragan.

The house belonged to the Prieto family until art collector and businessman César Cervantes purchased it four years ago. The house, now called Casa Pedregal, has been restored by Cervantes. Alterations have been removed and the original paint colors have been replicated.

Although much of the furniture in the house now was designed by Barragan, they aren't the same pieces that were originally in the house.

Source: ARRAGAN LA CASA PRIETO LOPEZ, by LAURENT BEAUDOUIN

This is what the living room looked like in 1951.

Source: ARRAGAN LA CASA PRIETO LOPEZ, by LAURENT BEAUDOUIN

Bertoia chairs are used around the table in the kitchen.

A similar dining set from the house was for sale at Phillips in 2009

This wall is the color of the sky. That would be the sky color in the 1950s, which I was told is different than the sky today.

The original colors were extracted via cutouts in the walls.

These exist in multiple locations around the property. I like that they were left exposed.

This is one of the two main garden areas.

Lava flooring

Clara Porset

Barragan brought the natural lava landscape inside.

Casa Pedregal is not a museum. The Cervantes family lives in the house and the kids even put their feet on the coffee table. I hope I don't get anyone in trouble for that.