INSTITUTO TECNOLOGICO Y DE ESTUDIOS SUPERIORES DE MONTERREY CAMPUS ESTADO DE MXICO Marcelo Uriel Reyes Mora A01169612 Ariadna Valdez

Rodrguez A01169900 Rebeca Valdez Rodrguez A01169899 Introduccin a las Ciencias Sociales Josu Baruj Gordon Guerrero September 9th, 2013. The modification of the architectonic style of Mexico Citys colony Condesa as an example of a change in the will of truth: from the Neocolonial style to Art Dco.

Introduction Mexico City is a place of contrasts, changes and diversity, ruptures and multiplicity. In a country that is always in process, these changes cannot be omitted. We are forced to see in an environment full of variation. Variation not always required, nor accepted, variation always necessary and confessed. Hence, the present essay attempts to analyse and exemplify the urban changes between the end of the XIX century and the 1920s in Mexico City. The architectonic changes suffered in the colony La Condesa between the end of the XIX century and the 1920s are a clear example of how a will of truth changes through time and responds to a determined milieu.

Condesa Towards the first half of the XVII Century, the Hacienda de Santa Catarina del Arenal " was recognized by the name La Condesa. Since that time belonged to the third countess of Miravalle: Mara Magdalena Dvalos de Bracamontes y Orozco. Juan Hernandez Mellado established this place when he acquired it in 1610. Then, in 1646, Hernandez's widow sold it to Mellado Airolo Calar Teresa who kept it until 1704. During this year, Jos Mateo Guerrero Dvil bought the estate. Mara Magdalena Dvalos de Bracamontes y Orozco, the first owner, was a very important and rich person of the viceroyalty, for that reason the place was named "La Condesa". The breaking-up, also known as colonies, emerged during the XIX century as consequence of the demographic development. Many jews arrived to Mexico searching refugee, so there was a lot of demand of urban areas and residential centers. At this moment, most of the citizens were living at Mexico's capital in poor conditions: without potable water, drainage and without paved streets; these elements constituted an

unsanitary city. The colony Condesa was inaugurated in 1902, not only as consequence of the demand of housing, but also as the impulse of modernization. With the sale of 303 lots, the splitting of the colony "Condesa" began. From the land held by the family, one part was sold to the Mutual and savings Bank, and then sold to Colony Countess Company S.A. This company was managed by the representatives of the highest political and social circles of the Porfiriato, because if this aspect, the Porfiriano style was imposed in the first houses that were built.

Neocolonial architectonic style Is essential to emphasize the presence in the 1920s of a revolutionary nationalist speech and a strong antiporfiriano feeling. These facts explain the emergence of a nationalist culture, which had a trigger point with the Secretary of Public Education Jos Vasconcelos, who impulsed painters and sculptors, in the field of architecture confronteing europeans expressions of the Porfiriato with the Neocolonial Style. The Neocolonial style emerged in the last years of the XIX century. Principally the Neocolonial style emerged as a synonymous of national identity and strength. This style was based on the colonial architectural art because it recognized itself in with the viceroyalty, which was established as the predecessor of Mexico and was the nationalistic aspect, which should manifest itself in new constructions, leave the Porfirian style away and look for a new aesthetic to reaffirm and spread the Mexican ideal.

A new concept In this strong necessity of building a Mexican identity (far from the French and neoindigenous vision conceived during the Porfiriato), the government and artists implemented a new aesthetic language that really reflected the made-in-Mexico idea. Due to the Mexican Revolution, the urban development stopped as many buildings were left unfinished. Furthermore, the new political order had to figure out how to reach pacification and unity, leading to a search of new languages and institutions. During the government of Venustiano Carranza and lvaro Obregn the neocolonial style was meant to do the job of configuring the nationalistic feeling and reconstructing a new society interested in its country, History and integration. Nevertheless, Neocolonial Style decayed because of its historicist character. Little by little it became incompatible with the aspirations of modernity that filled the milieu. (Ruvalcaba) This feeling of achieving modernity forced government, architects, artists and civilians to look for a more suitable way to fulfil their desires and build a new urban concept. Therefore, since 1925, Art Dco (chosen for the already mentioned objectives) had been understood in Mexico as an aesthetic equivalent of restarting. Simple, geometric and easy to understand it was successfully adopted by the Mexican middle class as symbol of modernity and progress.

Art Dco The term Art Dco refers to a style that spanned the boom of the roaring 1920s and the bust of the Depression-ridden 1930s. (Victoria and Albert Museum 1) Greatly influenced by the economic grow and innovation after the World War I, it has its origins in the International Exposition of Modern Decorative Arts and Industry in Paris, in which the tendencies in design inspired in the russian constructivism, futurism and the School of Bauhaus were exposed. The Exposition marked the high -point of the first phase of Art Dco. (Victoria and Albert Museum 1) Art Dec has as main characteristics the use of geometric forms (triangles, circles, zigzag patterns) in the buildings inside and outside. It affected all forms of design, from the fine and Decorative arts to fashion, film, photography, transport and product design. Art Dec emphasizes the symmetric compositions and in some cases, the aerodynamic lines. (Museo del Objeto del Objeto 7) Adopting a new style The Art Dco was inserted in Mexico by a magazine named Cemento. The objective of this magazine was to explain the characteristics and qualities of the cement. Consequently, it allows the enter of the reinforced concrete. With this material, other characteristics were developed, such as the number of floors which were increased, the walls were grossed and there was more space because there was not necessary enormous columns. The objective of the Art Dco was to beautify every constructive element in the colony. This art can be observed in the signs with the streets names, in the concretes signs where rules are written and in the parks benches whose French influence is indicated with lanterns, but Mexican people added mosaic pieces to give them their own style. Also is characterized by large rectangular windows, tucked hits, canopies, blacksmith with various geometric and linear styles, mosaic floors, low lighting cornices, furniture with chromed tubular supports, works in fountains and mailboxes. Art Dco conceives the culture as a creation; it transcended in the cultural and civil life. It was strongly involved with Mexican nationalism and their main characteristics were about the transformation of the interior spaces through the Decoration and the treatment of facades. Art Dco influenced the design of the cityscape and the homes of the rich. It also became the style of the pleasure palaces of the age this as represented with hotels, cocktail bars, nightclubs and cinemas. Everywhere, it came to represent new aspirations and desires, notably the search for youth, glamour, fantasy and fun. Conclusion Having exposed the characteristics of the styles, we have seen the evolution of architecture styles, which have answered to different wills of truth. The country reached a point in which it was socially necessary to find one idea that could define them. They first wanted to have unity between them by using nationalism reflected in the neocolonial style. Mexico defined its identity through the viceroyalty, which had the objective to recover the past so citizens could know their origins. Also, the purpose of the neocolonial style was to promote Mexicans culture, in order to be separated from

the European influence brought by Porfirio Daz. Afterwards, in a totally different milieu and social desire, through the Art Dec, Mexico showed a desire of moving on and being modernized. The past will of truth does not fit and it is not longer accepted. It had to change and answer to that specific moment in time. Although the answer had a foreign influence, Mexico tried to represent its own style. The will of truth had already changed and focused in a one that represented a developed city with new aspirations. It could be impossible for architecture to change and for the different styles to be accepted and adopted for the reconstruction of Mexico Citys streets, if the context didnt allow the conditions or the fertile ground for them to be planted and grow.

References Porras, J. (Performer) (2009). Las Aventuras de Mxico desconocido. Origen de la colonia condesa. Once TV. [Television series episode] (2009) Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNqxoog09_g

Victoria and Albert Museum. "Art Dco." (2013). Retrieved on September 8th, 2013 from: http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/a/art-deco/.

-------------------------------------."Art Dco: The 1925 Paris Exhibition." (2013). Retrieved from: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/the-1925-paris-exhibition/ Museo del Objeto del Objeto. Roma-Condesa: 111 aos de Historia. (2013) Ruvalcaba, P. Km.cero En centro a fondo. No. 28 La identidad moderna. (2013) Retrieved from: http://www.guiadelcentrohistorico.mx/kmcero/el-centro-fondo/laidentidad-moderna

V&A (2013)Retrieved from: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/art-deco-aroundthe-world/

Lpez, R. A grandes rasgos: la arquitectura neocolonial, primer lenguaje del Mxico posrevolucionario. Retrieved from: www.rafaellopezrangel.com/Reflexiones%20sobre%20la%20arquitectura

Estudio de Arquitectura. (2011). Arquitectura Neocolonial. Retrieved from: http://www.elvigia.net/noticia/la-arquitectura-neocolonial