The archives of famed Mexican architect Luis Barragán may be notoriously closed off to the public, but the built works of the modernist are ever ready to be admired. In a new short film from Nowness, the latest in a series of videos documenting designer homes, we get a peek inside Barragán ’s final house design: the 1975 Casa Gilardi in Mexico City, created for ad agency partners Martin Luque and Pancho Gilardi.
Drawn to Barragán’s bold use of color, the pair sought out the architect to design their home. Technically already retired at the time, Barragán ultimately decided to take on the project because he was so inspired by a jacaranda tree on site, even telling Luque and Gilardi, "Don’t chop down this tree, because the house will be built around it."
According to Luque, the colors used in the house were influenced by Mexican artist Chucho Reyees Ferreira. Perhaps the most striking color sequence is the yellow corridor that leads to a blue pool hall, constantly changed by rays of sunlight during the day. Watch the tour in full, below.