This section provides answers to frequently asked questions about gaining access to Luis Barragán’s architectural legacy for purposes related to research, publication and/or image usage.

How can I visit buildings by Luis Barragán?

Most of Luis Barragán’s built works are located in Mexico, specifically in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. The Barragan Foundation has published a guidebook to the architect’s extant works (Barragán Guide, Mexico City, 2002, second edition 2010; also available in Spanish: Guía Barragán). When visiting the listed sites, please keep in mind that some are private properties whose owners might not allow access, photography or any related activities on their premises.

The Barragan Foundation has no association with the owners or managers of any buildings designed by Luis Barragán. For information about visiting some of the architect’s most important works and applicable conditions/fees, please contact the following:

Casa Luis Barragán:

www.casaluisbarragan.org
Tel. (+52) 55 5515-4908 and (+52) 55 5272-4945

Prieto López House:

visitas@casapedregal.com

Capuchin Convent in Tlalpan:

Tel. (+52) 55 5573 2395

Cuadra San Cristóbal:

cuadrasancristobal@gmail.com

Gilardi House:

www.casagilardi.mx
casagilardi@gmail.com

Can I take photos or produce videos of Barragán’s works (houses, buildings, gardens, landscapes, developments, etc.)?

Yes, if the photos and videos are solely intended for personal and private use. This includes personal social media channels, but excludes any kind of professional, corporate, promotional, commercial, advertising-oriented or for-profit social media usage.

Can I publish photos or videos of interior spaces in Barragán’s built works, or images of buildings/property belonging to private owners?

Please note that you must obtain permission from the respective owner or administrator in order to gain access to a built work. The Barragan Foundation is not associated with the ownership or management of any works by Luis Barragán in Mexico; likewise, it bears no responsibility for the conservation of the works or access to them. Any required access fees or charges for filming/photography have nothing to do with the Barragan Foundation and do not permit the public use of photographs or videos taken on site.

Should you want to publicly use any photographic/video material, you must obtain the necessary permission from ProLitteris or one of its associated sister societies. Note that permission will not be granted for merchandising, advertising or promotional campaigns (see question #4 below).

I would like to use archival footage of Luis Barragán or images of his architecture in a fashion, promotional or commercial campaign. How should I proceed?

Even if you successfully acquire permission to conduct a photo shoot on the premises of any work by Barragán, please be aware that, as a general policy, the Barragan Foundation does not allow the direct or indirect association of Luis Barragán’s works with commercial activities of any kind, and thus will not allow their usage as the backdrop for a fashion, promotional or commercial campaign. However, specific requests formulated within the context of a broader sponsorship project or cultural collaboration will be considered on an individual basis. In such cases, please contact the Barragan Foundation to explore this possibility.

We are a publishing house/broadcasting/video/film company that would like to produce a monograph/documentary/movie on Luis Barragán. How should we proceed?

Please inform the Barragan Foundation at the earliest possible stage, as such projects require specific consideration and pre-emptive approval. The related conditions and fees will be established by ProLitteris and its associated sister societies.

I am an artist and would like to reference Barragán’s works and/or pictures, drawings, manuscripts, etc. for a creative project. How should I proceed?

The Barragan Foundation welcomes creativity and encourages such approaches. However, it is important to be aware of possible copyright restrictions related to the reproduction and manipulation of work by a fellow creative such as Luis Barragán. Please inform the Barragan Foundation of your intended work and its potential by-products (such as multiples, publications, printed matter, replicas, videos, broadcasts, online use, websites, digital use, microform and other media). If in doubt, we recommend that you seek specific legal advice. If your project involves acting, performing or photo/video shoots in one of Barragán’s buildings, you must obtain permission from the respective owner. In the case of live performances, please arrange for the Barragan Foundation to receive copies of any print, audio or video documentation generated around the performance. The public dissemination of such material requires copyright clearance.

I would like to use images of Barragán’s work in my thesis/school publication/academic work. How can I do so?

In the case of a personal academic paper, thesis or related research project that will not be published, you are free to use images of Barragán’s work. The Barragan Foundation advises the appropriate citation of sources. In the image credits, please mention the Barragan Foundation copyright together with any other applicable references (i.e. the photographer and/or other parties involved). If your thesis is to be published or your work is intended for an academic publication, a proper rights clearance must be obtained from ProLitteris or one of its associated sister societies.

I would like to obtain images from the Barragán Archive for reproduction. How should I proceed?

A selection of images is available from the Media Kit on this website, contingent upon proper copyright clearance from ProLitteris or one of its associated sister societies. In addition to the images in the Media Kit, further pictures can be provided upon request.

I would like to reproduce images or documents held by other parties (archives, libraries, repositories, collectors, owners, photographers, former partners and collaborators of Luis Barragán, etc.) which are related to Barragán or were produced by Armando Salas Portugal in connection with Barragán’s works. What restrictions apply in the case of materials on Barragán that are held by parties other than the Barragan Foundation?

Regardless of who owns a work or document by Luis Barragán, the copyright remains with the Barragan Foundation. This applies likewise to photographs produced by Armando Salas Portugal in connection with Barragán’s works. The reproduction of Barragán-related images or documents requires a proper rights clearance with ProLitteris or one of its associated sister societies.

Can published material related to Luis Barragán be reproduced?

Apart from legal exceptions in certain countries, any use of published material that is not purely personal and private requires prior permission. If you intend to publish any material now or in the future, a proper rights clearance with ProLitteris or one of its associated sister societies is required.

I would like to study some of the works by Luis Barragán, or a particular aspect of his work. What should I do?

The information you are looking for might be found in some of the publications available on the market or in public libraries, including:

  • Emilio Ambasz, The Architecture of Luis Barragán, MoMA, 1976
  • Enrique X. de Anda Alanis, Luis Barragán: Clásico del silencio, Escala, 1989
  • Yutaka Saito (ed.), Luis Barragán, TOTO Shuppan, 1992
  • Federica Zanco (ed.), Luis Barragán: The Quiet Revolution, Skira, 2001
  • Danièle Pauly, Barragán: Space and Shadow, Walls and Colour, Birkhäuser, 2002
  • Raúl Rispa (ed.), Barragán: The Complete Works, Princeton Architectural Press, 2003
  • Louise Noelle, Luis Barragán: Búsqueda y creatividad, UNAM, 2004
  • Wim van den Bergh and Kim Zwarts, Luis Barragán: The Eye Embodied, Pale Pink Publishers, 2006

You can also explore our website, which presents a number of Barragán’s most iconic projects as well as the architect’s life and work.
If you need specific guidance concerning specialized publications, references or sources, please send an e-mail to the archivist (matthias.puehl@design-museum.de) outlining the topic, aim and scope of your research.

I would like to visit / conduct research at the Barragán Archive. Is this possible?

The fragile nature of many documents in the Barragán Archive necessitates their protection from physical exposure. Access to the original documents is granted on a case-by-case basis. As of 2022, the Barragán Archive is administered by the Vitra Design Museum in new premises on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany. Enquiries should be directed to Archivist Matthias Pühl: matthias.puehl@design-museum.de.

Why is the Barragan Foundation located in Switzerland?

Upon his death in 1988, Luis Barragán – who had no direct heirs – bequeathed his archive and copyrights to his associate Raúl Ferrera Torres, who passed away four years later. In 1995, after several attempts to find a buyer in Mexico, Ferrera’s widow put the archive up for sale through the Max Protetch Gallery in New York. With the aim of preserving the unity of this important architectural legacy, the Barragán Archive was acquired and incorporated within the cultural activities sponsored by the Swiss company Vitra. In 1996, the Barragan Foundation was established in Switzerland, in order to manage the archival and curatorial work required by such an acquisition. As part of a strategic partnership with the Vitra Design Museum, the archival holdings moved to new premises on the Vitra Campus (Weil am Rhein, Germany) in 2022.

Who sponsors the Barragan Foundation? How is it connected to Vitra?

The Barragan Foundation is a not-for-profit institution established under Swiss law. As a cultural institution, the Barragan Foundation has no commercial involvement with the furniture design company Vitra. While supported with funding from Vitra, the Barragan Foundation also pursues other financial resources for sustaining and implementing its activities – in the form of collaborations, agreements and licenses – within the scope of its mission and policies. If you are considering a contribution or would like to propose some form of sponsorship and/or collaboration, please contact the Barragan Foundation.

Why is Luis Barragán’s surname written without an accent mark in “Barragan Foundation”?

“Barragan Foundation” was chosen as the name of the institution to address a wide international public that is not necessarily familiar with Spanish diacritics. However, when referring to the person Luis Barragán, we use the Spanish spelling with the acute accent.