FRANCISCO SERRANO

Complete Works

Kenneth Frampton and Miquel Adria

From the elegant embossed cover through hundreds of stunning color photographs, this volume is a fitting tribute to the contemporary Mexican architect J. Francisco Serrano, whose career began in 1959 and, 40 years later, shows no sign of slowing down. Often compared to the Mexican master Ricardo Lagorreta – though less well-known than Lagoretta outside Latin America – Serrano continues to define the look of Mexico’s cities with over 100 major completed buildings, urban planning projects, and projects on the drawing board.

Growing up as the son and grandson of eminent architects who designed several Mexico City landmarks, Serrano (born 1937) has surpassed both men in the scope and brilliance of his designs. Serrano’s work is distinguished for its remarkable use of stone, glass and, especially, innovative reinforced concrete. Among other signature techniques, he is known for adding white marble granules to the concrete mix, creating a glistening white finish which is then chiseled to expose the aggregate.

The book gathers every building of Serrano’s career to date, spanning Brazil, France, Singapore and Nicaragua as well as Mexico, and paying special homage to two of his Mexico City masterpieces, the campus of the Universidad Iberoamericana, and Terminal 2 of the International Airport. Serrano’s maturity of language and consistency of craftsmanship shine in all of his designs, ranging from corporate buildings to condominiums to housing developments. Writer Miquel Adria guides the reader through Serrano’s professional biography and offers insightful comments on each featured project. In an introductory essay, renowned architecture critic/historian Kenneth Frampton writes, “Much honored throughout his prolific career, J. Francisco Serrano remains one of those architects whose overall achievement … has yet to be fully recognized.” This simply beautiful book is a worthy step toward that recognition. Includes elevations, site plans, and other drawings for many projects.

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