Limestone can kill certain bacterias so there are multiple reasons to continue building with it,” Bermúdez says. “ Chukum, a limestone-based stucco, was used by the Mayans, and you see it being used now again in Yucatán, Mexico. Stucco was easily accessible and a breathable material, which was great for warmer cities that needed to deal with the heat. It was hard to find steel or structural timber (which were used a lot for building in the United States), so most buildings were made with stucco, then painted over. Much of the early distinction in Latin American architecture was due to the fact that regional materials were the most readily available.
“Color in Latin America goes way back-the Mayans, Aztecs, and many of our ancestors painted their pyramids and ornaments in a colorful way,” Bermúdez says. Photo: Getty Images/Rodrigo VargasĪlthough Barragán’s use of pink played a major role in modern architecture in the 1940s, the history of vibrant Latin American architecture had been established long before that. “In order to create architecture that will evoke specific emotions in people, the architect must be intentional and use color wisely.”īarragán’s Cuadra San Cristobal is an architectural triumph of simplicity in color and shape. “The more architects and designers know about color, the more care goes into making the right decisions,” Alonzo says. But then industrialization arrived, tourism arrived, and the local governments pushed to continue the use of these historical colors to promote tourism.”Īnd even though some regions have ordinances from the government to use bold colors, the local architects still need to know which colors to administer. “Historically, color used to represent hierarchy and status. From it, Freddy Mamani’s eclectic and psychedelic architecture style rises, and in Mexico it’s Luis Barragán, Ricardo Legorreta, and Mathias Goeritz who bring their distinct palettes,” Mexican architect Sergio Alonzo explains over instant messaging. “Latin America is a large geo-political territory. Color was everywhere, and-even at that young age-it made me wonder why the architecture in the United States was so colorless in comparison. The house across the street was hot pink. My grandfather’s house, for example, was cotton candy blue. It was a big contrast to the houses I’d see in El Salvador, which is where my family and I would often go to visit relatives. I grew up in a Texan neighborhood of grays, browns, and beiges.
In architecture, color selection is important in every part of the globe, but perhaps no place more so than in Latin America.
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