A silent architecture

Days ago, a couple approached me in a bar. As a talk with strangers in a moment of relaxation and de-stress, our activity was the first topic of conversation. Casually they also are architects so the conversation turned from trivial to work, full of the ego that characterizes the profession and even more the recent graduates who begin to see built their projects in the city. "The only different home that has been built in that area, is mine" said proud one, losing my interest immediately and by far, my admiration.

The buildings of a city are mainly determined by historical and cultural factors; they are solutions for a natural context that man must change to make it more comfortable, more functional and integrated to its inhabitants, supplementing them with the economic, social, religious, political and environmental reality. The architecture of a city is defined over time and is an eternal exercise of trial and error for the most iconic elements to be recognized, emulated and placed as an essential part of its history.

Querétaro

The balconies, clay tile slabs, vaults, thick adobe walls and even the voussoirs have a history and a distinctive role in Mexican architecture. Although their use is not restricted to provide structural and functional solution specifically for the construction, they born to fulfill a need and no as merely accidental. The central courtyards, for example, had the function to provide natural ventilation and lighting to interior spaces, creating microclimates that were cooler from outside as there was no possibilities to ventilate outdoors because of the convent security or the lots disposal in the blocks; and aesthetically, are preferably contemplative spaces because the novohispanic architecture was preferably for living inside. If we think of the central courtyards today, do they retain the features that owe their existence?

Even with the influence of the modern movement, which destroyed many cities in the world and their architectures, in Mexico we have preserved much of the built heritage and retained many of the traditional elements of our constructions, allowing each of our cities maintained the character and feelings that make them unique and unrepeatable. But we must not forget what is happening in the rest of the world; we must recognize each type of architecture and give them the place they deserve.

The trend of "sculptural architecture" has sown controversial buildings around the world but its purpose has to do with urban attractions that allow the recovery of highly degraded areas and position the name of a city globaly and so the architect performing it. This is the case of the Guggenheim in Bilbao or the National Library of France, detonators for large urban renewals and as sculptures they have been able to fulfill their missions, even though functionally the reviews are strong. If we want to meet this architecture in Mexico, there is no doubt that Avenida Reforma in Mexico City, the business district of Santa Fe, the Libramiento Sur in Queretaro, the Via Atlixcayotl in Puebla or the Avenida Lazaro Cardenas in Monterrey are examples of the commercial, financial and industrial development, exemplified in alternative steel and glass boxes.

Do we want to Puerto Vallarta become a bad copy of the international architecture and compete against skylines as Miami or Vancouver? Do we want to see homes in Los Cabos that stand out for its classic architecture and openly reactionary to its traditions?

Save our architecture must be everyone task and especially for those space specialists which professional work should be invested in recovering our culture and our history instead of searching how to stand out from others works. We must be worry for a silent architecture, respectful of our context, aware of the great value that we are as a society and make it known to the world through soulful work and love for what is ours. We should be more concerned about returning the adobe to our buildings and not to build them as fast as we can with prefabricated polyurethane panels, we should care enough to make urban centers for humans that to do inhuman roads for private vehicles, we should emphasize more concerned for what we are and not be a cheap copy of someone else.

JPV