Legorreta, Ricardo (1931)
November 6, 2009 | In: Architectural History
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Ricardo Legorreta is a contemporary Mexican architect whose work reflects the bold geometric forms of the international style, introducing elements of regionalism with his sensitive use of color and natural light in a fresh approach to architecture.
Legorreta was born in Mexico City and studied architecture at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, graduating in 1952. He began an apprenticeship with the architect Jose Villagran Garcia in 1948 and became a partner in 1955. After freelancing for several years, he opened his own firm in 1963 entitled Legorreta Legorreta. An educator, he has taught at schools of architecture in such countries as Japan, Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, England, France, Israel, and the United States, to name a few. His incredible talent has been recognized with honors and awards including: two Silver Medals in the First Biennial of Mexican Architecture (1990); two Gold Medals in the Second Mexican Biennial of Architecture (1992); UIA Gold Medal, given in Beijing (1999); and the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal (2000).
Legorreta completed buildings of various types and scales, they include: IBM Offices, Mexico City; Museum of Contemporary Art, Monterrey, Mexico; Children’s Discovery Museum, San Jose, California; Cathedral in Managua, Nicaragua; San Antonio Library, Texas; and the Chapultepec Zoo, Mexico City.
This concise image is a sketch for the University of California, San Francisco Mission Bay Campus Community Center. The building was created to bring the campus community together with a gymnasium, swimming pools, food services, auditorium, and retail space. Built in 2000, the structure is organized around a central atrium that ‘will serve as an orienting point, assembling the different spaces and helping the users to establish a visual connection within the building.’
Rendered in ink with yellow and violet felt tip pen, this sketch is a study for the 400 seat auditorium. The space has been articulated with a flat roof and a vaulted skylight. The sketch appears to be an early exploration since the final solution does not show this type of roof. The interior features blocks of tiered seating on both sides. The right side of the sketch shows the auditorium in elevation, viewing the front of the barriers. Legorreta has included people for scale; the seated audience have been suggested with brief dots for heads. On the right is a passageway for ‘backstage’ or exit/ entrance accessibility. On the left side of the sketch is a section representing the rise of the stairs. The stair’s location has been guided by a sloped line overlaid with a wavy line to replicate steps. The far edges of the seating boxes are minimally indicated as horizontal marks. In the center of the sketch stands both a tall central feature and a scale figure on the stage. Lines have been drawn from the figure’s head to the top tier of the seating and the vaulted ceiling. These arrows suggest Legorreta’s concern for acoustics and sight lines within the space. A pale yellow arrow waves down
from the ceiling, possibly indicating the admittance of sunlight.
The lines of the sketch are minimal and considered. It appears the single line thickness for exterior walls was reinforced with a heavier pen. Drawn relatively slowly, the lines undulate slightly with the movement of the instrument. They suggest Legorreta was holding the various pens quite loosely, concentrating on the accuracy of their location. Dots in the dome/vault may indicate texture or a perforation of the ceiling.
