Or dos. Whatever. But before we get started, have a look at how sad this dog is because we left the Roma Sur neighborhood.
Our last two days we would be staying in the Centro Histórico - the historic city center of Mexico City - at this weird little hostel called the Hostel Regina. Be wary of the loud club music playing until the wee hours of the morning. The joint is about a fifteen minute walk from Zócalo, the main square of the city. Unfortunately, the area was being prepped for some gay Christmas nonsense; scaffolding and fake plastic trees obstructed views of square and the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral.
Either way, I had to check out the Cathedral.
Moving to the interior, I must say that this was the most incredible churches I had ever come across. Setting aside my personal thoughts on what a church should be, I found the design/construction execution impressive nonetheless. The proportions, the grandiose posture, the attention to detail; it was a stunning space.
Just behind the church are some Aztec ruins. The line was long, so we just took a picture. Here it is.
Next, Jen and I headed to meet Shilpa at the upscale Polanco district to check out a pair of fancy-pants museums. Matt, on the other hand, went to a bar and watched Auburn lose to Alabama 12-30. Awww Burnnn.
The first museum, Museo Jumex, was designed by David Chipperfield. It is a trapezoidal plan with box form clad in travertine panels and topped with a sawtooth roof.
The first floor is a mostly-glazed, open plan housing the lobby and cafe; a floor-to-ceiling pivot door marks the entry.
The second floor is a smaller box gallery inset to create a loggia around the glass enclosure, which grants a pretty stellar view of the neighbors.
The upper floor is the primary gallery space; artwork is displayed under the form of the sawtooth roof.
Although the building was fantastic, I wasn’t too impressed with the collection. See exhibit A:
The circulation is housed in one of the sawtooth bays.
However, it’s quite easy to get into the wrong elevator.
Speaking of the neighbor, the Museuo Soumaya was designed by Fernando Romero. To be honest, this is the kind of building that I love to hate. I was expecting to really really dislike it, especially considering my experience with the douchebag that designed it. Yet, I didn’t.
Maybe it’s the time I spent working in China, but I have always been suspicious of iconic buildings such as this. So often, I would see a majority of the design effort expended on the facade and massing alone, often leaving a jumbled, unresolved mess of program, detailing and interior circulation behind. I assumed that this would be a similar case. But it wasn’t. The form was quite elegant and sat on the site better than I had expected. The composition of the aluminum panels was rational and clean. And considering that a form such as this requires structural complexity which at times can bleed inside, the interior spaces were simple, clean and straightforward.
The collection was more-or-less contained within the center while a perimeter of ramp circulation takes the visitor from floor to floor. It somewhat reminded me of the Danish Pavilion for the Shanghai Expo in 2010 by BIG.
The circulation culminated at the top where the sculptures were displayed under exposed structural elements and the only exterior window (skylight) in the building. The core does not reach this level so I’m not sure how they got around the egress, but hey, Mexico probably has different rules.
Let’s just say that the collection was much better than the neighbor; The Three Shades by Auguste Rodin.
The Thinker by Auguste Rodin.
The next morning, our last in Mexico, we walked past this green wall and headed towards the La Ciudadela Market to get our souvenir shopping on par with our gringo nature.
Right outside of the market, some delicious chorizo tacos for 10 pesos ($.50) apiece aye.
I bet you’re wondering what I picket up at the market. Let’s just say that I asked for the cultural appropriation starter kit.
After the market, an uber was procured to take us south towards the UNAM campus (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México). As legend has it, the university was created to placate the mid-century protesting of progressive college students in the city centre. In response, a new campus was proposed on an old and vacant lava field just south of the city. It became a modernist free-for-all and then a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s pretty dope actually.
In my opinion, the gem of the campus is the Central Library by Mario Pani and Enrique Del Moral. Juan O’Gorman was commissioned to do the massive mural which colorfully illustrates Mexican history.
Although Matt/Jen disagree, I like that fact that the bottom two floors are open the and upper levels remain windowless and monolithic; it really make the mosaic composition pop.
The rest of the campus was essentially modernist porn.
As the trip was winding down, our final excursion took us to the borough of Coyoacán. This is the place where Salma Hayek Frida Kahlo grew up. It’s probably one of the most beautiful (and quaint) areas of Mexico City. See for yourself.
Ok I’ll say it: Mexican shower anyone?
This is me and my accountant growing old together. It’s just like Inception.
Finally, we made it to this big-arse market.
I had gone to this market to try and find something unique and distinctly Mexican. Unfortunately, they had this up for sale; I couldn’t resist.
It even lights up. So sexy yea? That’s how I ended my first trip to Mexico, which wasn’t bad for a four-day detour.
When it’s all said and done, Mexico City is probably one of the most incredible chunks of urbanity that I have ever come across. I highly recommend the people, the food, the architecture, the city itself. And keep in mind, if you book early enough, you can get round trip tickets from NYC for as little was 220 bucks. This leaves you plenty of dinero for tacos.
Until next time: Hasta Luego.
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