GONZALEZ DE LEON: TEODORO GONZALEZ DE LEON. ARCHITECTURE AS ART

Teodoro Gonzalez de Leon is one of Mexico's great architects, and his distinctive buildings grace many cities throughout the world. His designs have a stark simplicity, with natural surfaces. His favorite material is concrete, and its weight contrasts with the brightness of his interior spaces. A disciple of Le Corbusier, like his teacher, he believes that "Interiors exist only when they are flooded with light". Born in 1926, his paintings and architectural pieces have had numerous exhibits, and he has won many prestigious awards. Published in 1998, this large soft cover book has a preface by Gonzalez de Leon, a long introduction by Mario A. Arnaboldi, and a detailed explanation that accompanies the many color photos, floor plans, and cross sections of the works. There are 16 buildings shown, with photos from many angles. Four of these have not been constructed, and are shown in model form. Two of my favorites are in Mexico City; the Fondo de Cultura Economica, with a bridge that spans and floats between the structures and extends beyond them, and the vast Arcos Bosques Corporativo, which is featured on the cover, and has the eerie suspension in the upper floors.