Architectural Guide. Monterrey

Monterrey means mountain king, a name befitting it`s location surrounded by the Sierra Madre in north-eastern Mexico. It was founded in 1596 near the natural springs of Santa Lucia, a luscious oasis in an otherwise arid landscape. It`s colonial beginnings are still visible in the architecture of the Barrio Antiguo district in the city centre. In the late 19th century, industrial development transformed the modest town into a flourishing, modern city. It`s foundries and breweries reflect it`s industry, while it`s skyscrapers, universities, churches, and monuments designed by celebrated Mexican modernist architects like Mario Pani, Enrique de la Mora, Pedro Ramirez Vazquez, and Luis Barragan reflect it`s modernity. Today, Monterrey is an important cultural, educational, medical, and business metropolis with buildings by Ricardo Legorreta, Nicholas Grimshaw, and Tadao Ando. It`s fast growing residential, corporate, and commercial developments feature designs by Norman Foster, Cesar Pelli, Zaha Hadid, and Alejandro Aravena. This book presents the role of architecture in the continuous transformation of this city.