Gilardi House / Luis Barragán | Classics On Architecture Lab

Architects: Luis Barragán
Year: 1976
Photographs: Eduardo Luque, Daniel Concha, Edicm, Mauricio Vieto, Mazdakohei, Pov Steve, Refrainrefrain
City: Mexico City
Country: Mexico

Gilardi House, designed by Luis Barragán in Mexico City, was his final work, created at 80 after a decade of inactivity. Built on a 10×36-meter plot, it preserves a jacaranda tree and integrates a pool, shaping its layout into two volumes—the front for bedrooms and services, and the rear for living spaces. A corridor connects them, enclosing a courtyard around the tree. Light and color define the design, with a floating staircase, a glowing corridor, and a red wall partially submerged in water. Inspired by Chucho Reyes, Barragán carefully selected red and blue walls, recalling: “The pool has a pink wall or column that doesn’t support anything. It’s a piece of color placed in the water, for pleasure, to bring light to the space and improve its original proportion.” A load-bearing structure and smooth finishes enhance light reflection, making Gilardi House one of Barragán’s most paradigmatic works, where architecture, light, and color merge into a deeply evocative space.

Gilardi house / luis barragán | classics on architecture lab — Gilardi House / Luis Barragán | Classics on Architecture Lab 57

At the age of 80, after nearly a decade of inactivity, Luis Barragán completed his final work on a 10×36-meter plot between party walls in Mexico City. The project embodies influences from Mexican culture and the work of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. Barragán regarded the most intriguing challenge as preserving the large jacaranda tree on-site while integrating the pool, which was a key request from the owner.

The small pink house, designed to be closed off from the street to enhance interior privacy, is organized along the longitudinal axis of the plot. Toward the back, the layout is divided into two volumes: the front section houses the bedrooms and service areas, while the rear section contains the living room, dining room, and pool. A corridor connects these two volumes, creating a patio that wraps around the jacaranda tree.

As in all of Barragán’s architecture, the spaces evoke a variety of sensations through the interplay of light, color, spatial arrangement, and architectural elements. Notable features include a railing-free staircase that appears to levitate under zenithal light. The corridor, illuminated by yellow light streaming through small vertical openings, leads to a minimalist space where a water mirror sits beside the dining room, and a red-painted wall serves as a structural support for the skylight.

This area features the most dynamic spatial interactions, with the floor divided into two levels, positioning the dining room at the edge of the water mirror. The red wall extends into the water, while the skylight in the background introduces continuous shifts in natural light throughout the day.

Color plays a fundamental role in the house, particularly the red and blue walls, which were inspired by a painting by Chucho Reyes. Barragán described Reyes as having “an excellent eye for color,” dedicating his life to beauty despite not understanding architectural plans. He recalled drawing inspiration from the colors of Mexican markets, sweets, and even the plumage of roosters, experimenting with large painted cardboard sheets to determine the final palette for Gilardi House. Barragán also revealed a unique design detail, stating: “The pool has a pink wall or column that doesn’t support anything. It’s a piece of color placed in the water, for pleasure, to bring light to the space and improve its original proportion.”

As a house built between party walls, the design relies on a load-bearing wall structure that supports a subdivided grid, defining the arrangement of spaces. To enhance the sensory effect of light, the interior walls were finished with smooth plaster, allowing light to flow uninterrupted throughout the spaces. This careful treatment of light and materiality makes the Gilardi House one of Barragán’s most paradigmatic works.