Casa Rivas Mercado is a show of the portent in Mexican architecture. To the center of Mexico City, this house is the product of the historical force that constantly seeks to position itself as the icon of the capital. The Palace of Fine Arts occupies the throne of Art Decóthe Latin American tower rises with its modernist design, while Avenida Reforma express national aspiration. All of them are undeniable examples of the historical context and evolution of architecture in Mexico, but Casa Rivas Mercado runs on the stage of Mexican housing bathed in an eclectic style, so it is considered an icon of nineteenth -century architecture.
With three levels, made of quarry, partition and steel, between Moorish tiles, metal appliques and neoclassical columns, Casa Rivas Mercado has been a representative worthy of the home, education and now heads a cultural programboth for its new use, as for its identity and architectural wealth.
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What is the story of the Rivas Mercado house?
The Guerrero neighborhood was promoted by housing growth from the nineteenth to the 20th century. Numerous housing complexes emerged between the streets and arteries of the neighborhood, as a result of its proximity to the center of the CDMX. Casa Rivas Mercado Born as part of this current of housing, however, since its construction He stood out for his disruptive personality and architectural experimentation. The owner and architect, Antonio Rivas Mercado imagined and built the house in 1893, with an effort to explore and find his language within Mexican architecture. By the end of the 19th century, the Rivas Mercado family was already installed and enjoying the spaces of the house.
In 1927, Alicia Rivas Mercado inherited the house, after the death of her father. After 10 years inhabiting the property with his mother, Matilde Castellano Haaf, Alicia donated her to the Church, and was subsequently destined to be a school. Casa Rivas Mercado fell into disuse for 20 yearsas a result of the abandonment of the family that occupied it for six decades. Today, the house shines again thanks to the restoration by the 2010 Commemoration Foundation, AC, who turned it into a cultural space, an ideal destination for a building that was always surrounded by intellectuals, painters, sculptors and even writers.