Esoteric Survey

I was finally able to visit the Max Cetto house and studio in Mexico City. Cetto designed the house for himself and family in 1949. It is located south of central Mexico City in  Jardines del Pedregal  de San Ángel. Luis Barragan saw the potential in the lava fields of the Xitle and in 1945 purchased purchased property with José Alberto Bustamante. Barragan then created a plan for Pedregal and began selling properties. Some of Mexico's greatest modern architects, like Francisco Artigas, Enrique Castañeda Tamborrell, José María Buendía, Antonio Attolini, Fernando Ponce Pino, Oscar Urrutia and Manuel Rosen constructed homes in Pedregal. However, the first to build was German émigré Max Cetto. In his book (which is one of the best on the subject), Modern Architecture in Mexico , Cetto said... "Certainly it is not Barragan's fault that many of the houses in what is now the city's most exclusive residential area have not risen to the opportunity presented by the unusual cha...

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...