I joined @arquetipo_de_cambio while she was documenting historic buildings in Tijuana. Marissa grew up in Tijuana but has been living in Los Angeles for the last 15 years. Many extant structures still exist. However, in this rapidly changing city, more times than not the architecture from past decades is behind layers of change. Hence the name of her project, the Archetype of Change.
We spent the day mostly in Centro, Chapultepec and this post centers around Colonia Madero or La Cacho.
In the 1950s Tijuana became one of the fastest growing cities in the Western Hemisphere. This is when neighborhoods like Cacho started to develop.
What it looked like in 1964. This is from a series of photos by San Diego photographer Harry Crosby.
More on Crosby, here.
The open carport is covered up with a concrete block screen.
Parroquia De Nuestra Señora Del Carmen (1955) by Architect Homero MartÃnez de Hoyos (1917-1998).
Felix Candela had a role in hiring MartÃnez de Hoyos to design the church.
Homero was on the team of architects who designed UNAM in Mexico City. He's circled in red. Although not pictured, Candela also designed at least one building on the campus.
In addition to helping on the overall plan, Homero worked on the Institute of Biology and School of Medicine buildings. Later he would also teach Architecture and Urban Planning at the University. More on UNAM,
here.
Source: Arquitectura 1952
A watercolor rendering of the church by Homero.
Speaking of art, in 1949 Carlos Merida did a stone mural in Martinez de Hoyo's home in San Angel, Mexico City. Homero had a brother named Ricardo who said he collaborated with Merida on the mural. Another brother was sculptor Oliverio Guillermo MartÃnez de Hoyos.
Photo: Harry Crosby
This apartment building from the early 1970s is across the street from the church. We met the owner. He doesn't know who the architect was but he did tell us that it's poured-in-place concrete.
He was also nice enough to give us a tour.
The view from the rooftop.
A nice Streamline modern house with some great iron work. I'm guessing this was one of the earlier houses in the area. The lots became smaller over time and many larger ranch properties in Cacho were subdivided.
Cool iron chairs hanging out in the yard.
Follow Marissa's Tijuana project on Instagram:
arquetipo_de_cambio She is covering a lot of different neighborhoods and architectural styles.
She has already documented some great ones, like this Juan Jose Diaz Infante Nuñez house in the Chapultepec neighborhood.
Infante also did a building at the Museo de Arte Moderno that can seen
here.
A few past posts about Tijuana:
https://esotericsurvey.blogspot.com/2022/01/colegio-la-paz-tijuana.html
https://esotericsurvey.blogspot.com/2018/09/cecut-tijuana.html
https://esotericsurvey.blogspot.com/2015/03/tijuana-modern.html
https://esotericsurvey.blogspot.com/2015/03/baja-calfornia-design.html
In the 1950s Tijuana became one of the fastest growing cities in the Western Hemisphere. This is when neighborhoods like Cacho started to develop.
What it looked like in 1964. This is from a series of photos by San Diego photographer Harry Crosby. 
