Contemporary Mexican architecture has attracted strong critical acclaim internationally. This has happened on the back of a resurging interest in Latin American Modernism and there is now a real excitement around the many young architects from the region making their mark.
Barry Bergdoll, Professor of Art History at Columbia University (New York), who curated MoMA’s celebrated Latin America in Construction exhibition will be joined by Javier Sordo Madaleno and his son, Fernando Sordo Madaleno, Director of Sordo Madaleno’s newly established London studio, to discuss this phenomenon. Fernando represents the third generation of his family’s practice that was founded 85 years ago by his grandfather in Mexico City.
Barry Bergdoll, Javier Sordo Madaleno and Fernando Sordo Madaleno will focus on the traditions that inform practice in Mexico today and the way in which emerging practitioners are looking to the wisdom often present in vernacular architecture to address the environmental challenges we now face including the availability of materials. The relationship between context, climate and culture will be an important theme in the current Sordo Madaleno projects shown as part of the conversation. Another topic that Fernando Sordo Madaleno is fascinated by is the architectural expression of the land as felt in ancient ruins for example.
