Functionalism had appealed to idealistic Mexican architects of the late 1920s and 1930s as they were faced with the imperative of designing new facilities for the social services promised by revolutionary governments. Simply stated, they perceived the answer to complex social and economic problems to be structural—that through better design, centuries-old inequalities might disappear. Yet, as Zabludovsky witnessed, in practice this approach could not serve the nation. As he recalled later, “We now know that architecture cannot alter a society’s economic conditions... we, as architects, cannot direct society with the tools of our trade: our work has only a specific area of influence. Although we may be able to play a part in the process of social transformation from within this field, it is not the result of any inherent quality of architecture” (Zabludovsky, 1993).

As González de León and Zabludovsky realized the failure of functionalism to construct a new, more just nation, they developed a more flexible architectural vocabulary that would permit the government and private sector to pursue goals of social justice and economic development. Their collaboration began in 1968, after each architect had experienced almost a decade of successful private practice. Their first works were a series of master plans commissioned by PEMEX (Petróleos Mexicanos) for Poza Rica and Minatitlán, in the state of Veracruz, where growth was rapid and uncontrolled because of dramatic growth in the oil industry. Zabludovsky and González de León studied the existing natural environment to determine which areas were unsuitable for urbanization, surveyed land usage, and developed planning forecasts, determining demand for housing, health and social services, and commercial enterprises. Their subsequent work, spanning two decades, would be in the areas of low-income housing, apartment buildings, private residences, and public-sector works.

In 1968 and 1970, they proposed ambitious solutions to the chronic shortage of low-income housing in Mexico City. In the Torres de Mixcoac (1971) and La Patera (1973) housing developments, the architects sited approximately 4000 brick-faced units around tranquil, open public space, allowing for a variety of informal, recreational uses and integrating sculpture by Mathias Goeritz with their overall design. Later works, among them González de León’s development of the Ex-Hacienda de Enmedio (1978), further refined these principles. In projects for upper-income residents, such as the Torre Manhattan (1975) and La Herradura (1982) apartment buildings, Zabludovsky and González de León demonstrated similar care concerning the site and the Mexican climate. In treating the wall as a mass, drawing on the Mexican vernacular, they rejected large expanses of plate glass in favor of protected, smaller windows.

These elements are also present in their designs for government-sponsored projects, among them the Delegación Cuauhtémoc (1972–73), a building to house the administrative units overseeing the central area of the city, offices for the workers’ housing fund INFONAVIT (1973–75), the Mexican Embassy in Brasilia (1973–75), educational facilities such as the Colegio de México (1974–75) and the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional (1979–82), and the Rufino Tamayo International Museum of Contemporary Art (1981). Constructed over a period of 12 years, these structures manifest the evolution and refinement of Zabludovsky’s and González de León’s unique approach to architecture.

Common to these works is a singular attention to Mexican culture and national identity. The architects have drawn from the preconquest and colonial eras in emphasizing horizontality, centering these massive structures around patios and courtyards, and protecting entrances through gracefully executed porticos. Both interior open spaces and entrances have frequently achieved unanticipated utility as meeting places and landmarks, as in the case of the INFONAVIT and Colegio de México structures. Further, the architects’ frequent use of berms and sloping terraces, derived from preconquest design, serves to join these structures to the urban landscapes.

Notable also is their innovative use of concrete. Zabludovsky and González de León chose to mix concrete with marble aggregate. The concrete was then chiseled, resulting in a rough surface that reflects light, creating a warm cast to building exteriors. In recent works, such as the Capuchinas-Banamex Building (1988–89), adjacent to the Palacio de San Mateo de Valparaíso in the oldest section of the city, the architects employed rose-hued tezontle sand in the concrete, creating a medium that complements rather than intrudes on viceregal structures.

Together, these elements have come to constitute a prominent trend in contemporary Mexican architecture, “integrated functionalism.” The architects’ use of massive, sculptural volumes, whether in the Cultural and Tourist Services Unit (1984) at Chichén Itzá or in the award-winning Banamex Financial Centers (1986–88), employs logical aspects of functionalism, combined with a sensitivity to current socioeconomic and cultural needs, to yield an authentically Mexican architecture.

Both architects have also pursued dynamic private practices. González de León’s later works include the Fondo de Cultura Económica Building (1992) and Federal Palace of Justice (1993). Recent publications, among them Architecture as Art, reveal his commitment to excellence in design. Zabludovsky’s recent work includes libraries, theaters, civic centers, apartment buildings, and office buildings, most notably his restoration of La Ciudadela (1988) and the Celaya Multipurpose Auditorium (1990), which received the Gold Medal at the Sofia, Bulgaria Bienal.

In sum, their work consistently provides numerous examples of the complexity and dynamism of postrevolutionary Mexican architecture.

Patrice E. Olsen

Sennott R.S. Encyclopedia of twentieth century architecture, Vol.2 (G-O). Fitzroy Dearborn., 2005.  

1926 Born in Mexico City, 29 May;

1942 Attended the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, School of Architecture;

1947 Degree in architecture;

1948-49 Worked in the architectural studio of Le Corbusier, Paris;

1949 In private practice, Mexico City;

1956-58 Director of Rural Housing, National Housing Institute;

1958 Technical director, Council of Economic and Social Planning, Mexico City;

1966-70 Advisor, operating and banking discount fund for housing, Mexico City;

1970-76 Advisor, P.W. Department, Mexico City;

1970-76 Advisor, Ministry of Public Education, Mexico City;

1982, 1983 Visiting professor, Pratt Institute, New York;

1966 Member, Colegio de Arquitectos de México;

1978 Emeritus member, Sociedad de Arquitectos Mexicanos;

1983 Honorary fellow, American Institute of Architects;

1984 Member, Academia de Artes;

September 16, 2016 Died.

Abraham Zabludovsky

1924 Born in Bialystok, Poland, 14 June;

1927 Emigrated to Mexico;

1941 Naturalized Mexican citizen;

1943-49 Attended the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, School of Architecture;

1949 Degree in architecture;

1949 In private practice, Mexico City;

1973 Director, INURBASA, Mexico City;

1978 Advisor to the director, CODEUR, Mexico City;

1965-67 Teacher of composition, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México;

Lecturer and advisor, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México;

Lecturer and advisor, Museum of Modern Art, Mexico City;

Fellow, Academy of Architecture, Mexico;

1982 Honorary fellow, American Institute of Architects;

1991 Honorary fellow, International Academy of Architecture;

April 9, 2003 Died.

Teodoro González de León y Abraham Zabludovsky

1968 Partnership established in Mexico City between Teodoro González de León and Abraham Zabludovsky;

Received awards for their work in Mexico and South America

Teodoro González de León

Barra de Navidad, Estudio de un Área, 1958

Investigaciones de Vivienda en Once Ciudades del País, 3 vols., 1966

Catálogo de Cartogramas, 1969

“Diseño y praxis en la enseñanza del concreto,” Arquitectura y Sociedad 3 (1980)

“La Piedra del Siglo XX,” IMCYC, 142 (February 1983)

La Voluntad del Creador, 1994

Retrato de Arquitecto con Ciudad, 1996

Architecture as Act, 1998

“El Centro Cívico Cinco de Mayo,” Arquitectura/México, 79 (September 1962)

“Unidad de Habitación Terrazas Satélite,” Arquitectura/México, 91 (September 1965)

Arquitectura Contemporánea Mexicana: Obras de Teodoro González de León y Abraham Zabludovsky, 1969

“Dos Edificios de Departamentos,” Arquitectura/México, 68 (December 1969)

“Central de Abasto de la Ciudad de México,” Obras (México) (March 1983)

La Ciudadela, Biblioteca Mexicana, 1991

“Arquitecto del Arq. Zabludovsky: El Museo Rufino Tamayo,” Excélsior (8 August 1992)

Abraham Zabludovsky, Architect, 1993

Abraham Zabludovsky: Cincuenta Años de Arquitectura, 1995

Abraham Zabludovsky, Arquitecto, 1998

Bienal de arquitectura mexicana, Mexico City: Federación de Colegios de Arquitectos de la República Mexicana, 1990-

Bullrich, Francisco, New Directions in Latin American Architecture, New York: Braziller, and London: Studio Vista, 1969

Drexler, Arthur, Transformations in Modern Architecture, New York: Museum of Modern Art, 1979; London: Secker and Warburg, 1980

“Edificio Municipal de Delegación Cuauhtémoc,” “El INFONAVIT,” and “Museo Tamayo,” in Modern Mexican Architecture, edited by Makoto Suzuki, Tokyo: Process Architecture, 1983

Garay Arellano, Graciela de (editor), Historia oral de la ciudad de México: testimonios de sus arquitectos (1940–1990), Abraham Zabludovsky, Mexico City: Lotería Nacional para la Asistencia Pública, Instituto Mota, 1995

Glusberg, Jorge, Seis arquitectos mexicanos, Buenos Aires: Ediciones de Arte Gaglianone, 1983

Heyer, Paul, Mexican Architecture: The Work of Abraham Zabludovsky and Teodoro González de León, New York: Walker, 1978

Heyer, Paul, Abraham Zabludovsky, Architect, 1979–1993, New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 1993

“Museo Rufino Tamayo,” Arquitectura y Sociedad, 9 (1981)

Neuvillate Ortiz, Alfonso de, Diez arquitectos mexicanos, Mexico City: Ediciones Galería de Arte Misrachi, 1977

Noelle, Louise, “Mexican Contemporary Architecture: An Approximation,” in Modern Mexican Architecture, edited by Makoto Suzuki, Tokyo: Process Architecture, 1983

Noelle, Louise, “Arquitectura mexicana: 1952–1985,” in México, 75 años de revolución, edited by Otto Granados Roldán, Mexico City: Fondo de Cultura Económica, 1988

Noelle, Louise, Arquitectos contemporáneos de México, Mexico City: Editorial Trillas, 1989; 2nd edition, 1993

Noelle, Louise, Crónicas de arquitectura, Mexico City: Academia Nacional de Arquitectura, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, 1993

Ocho conjuntos de Habitación: arquitectura contemporánea mexicana; Mexican Contemporary Architecture (bilingual Spanish-English edition), Mexico City: Arquitectura y Sociedad, 1976

Sonderéguer, Pedro Conrado, Memoria y utopía en la arquitectura mexicana, Mexico City: Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, 1990

Toca, Antonio, and Aníbal Figueroa Castrejón, México: nueva arquitectura, Mexico City: Gili, 1991; 5th edition, 1995

Yáñez, Enrique, Del funcionalismo al post-racionalismo, Mexico City: Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Limusa, 1990

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