Estados Unidos y la arquitectura mexicana en el siglo XX. El punto de vista de las publicaciones

Abstract

Interaction between the United States and Latin America has been constant in all cultural fields; in the case of Mexico this process is all the more intense as a natural result of the two thousand kilometers of shared border. The field of architecture has, of course, been no exception; at least, there is ample evidence of the influence of the US on its southern neighbor both in the field of technology and materials and in that of design. For a full evaluation of Mexican architecture it is therefore interesting to review the role played by specialized publications in architecture. In this sense one has to analyze both the ideas that have been expressed in print in both countries, and the visual influences that have been felt in the field of architectural design. Because of the enormous bulk of articles on US architecture in Mexican journals, a thoroughgoing analysis would be long and tedious; however, this abundance is in itself sufficient to suggest the importance of these media in fostering appreciation of contemporary US architecture, with the consequent imitation of the concepts it embodies. What do, however, demand greater attention, are the theoretical texts that have contributed to the recognition accorded to US architecture. In contrast, it must be stated that scant attention has been given to Mexican Buildings in the pages of specialized media north of the Río Bravo. Attention is, however, due to certain publications from the New York presses that, throughout the century, published reviews of the major architectural events of Mexico, as well as a long list of recently published monographs on architects. Despite this interst, however, it is almost impossible to identify instances of Mexican influence on US architecture. This study stresses the importance of publications, books and journals, both in the development of Mexican architecture, and in the full appreciation of the same beyond its borders; specialized journals in particular are of key importance for studying and appreciating it.