The Top 10 Architecture Firms in Mexico

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Facebook

This article is part of our ongoing series on the Top 10 Architecture Firms around the world.

When I think of Mexican architecture, I fall back on its ancient history. The pyramids of Chichen Itza and the grand palaces of Spanish Colonialism. It’s a simple thing to do and an unfair one, really, when you consider what’s currently going on in contemporary Mexican architecture. Much like its capital city which is experiencing a cultural renaissance, its leading architects are young, bold, and unafraid to try new things. They are diverse. So much, in fact, that 5 of the 10 architecture firms listed below are led by women who are inspiring a future generation of architects and designers to bold new standards for Mexican design.

The Top 10 isn’t a ranking, just a collection of what I believe are the best firms in the country based on their perceived reputation and personal opinion. I also want to thank the offices that provided images and documentation in the preparation of this article.

With that said, here are my picks for The Top 10 Architecture Firms in Mexico.

Rojkind Arquitectos

Rojkind Arquitectos is an innovative design firm located in Mexico City. What I love most about their work is their approach to building, which is both technological and tactile. This is best seen in their design for Foro Boca, a beautiful symphony orchestra building nestled on the rocky shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Also recently completed is their Cineteca Nacional Siglo XXI which demonstrates the firm’s focus on contemporary designs that are digitally-complex, but simplified to a point where they can be fabricated locally.

FR-EE

Founded in 2000, FR-EE (Fernando Romero Enterprise) has developed a diverse portfolio of projects ranging from museums to office buildings. They are particularly interested in public spaces and the translation of historic, social, and economic contexts into contemporary urban destinations. This can be seen in their canonical work for the Museo Soumaya in Mexico City.

FR-EE is currently working with Foster and Partners, and the Netherlands Airport Consultants on a massive, new Mexico International Airport in Mexico City (pictured).

TEN Arquitectos

With offices in Mexico City and New York, TEN Arquitectos has been designing cultural centers, hotels, museums, residential and urban developments for over 30 years. One of their best-known projects is the university campus of CENTRO which features a central courtyard and floating structure that bridges between the two buildings that make up its complex.

The Museo Amparo (pictured) is also a critical work for the office. The project involved some significant restoration of the surrounding complex of heritage buildings which it is built upon.

T.A.X.

Founded by thinker, builder, and preserver, Alberto Kalach, T.A.X. is a contemporary architecture firm with an interest in geography and economies of construction. Best known for their Nuevo Biblioteca Vasconcelos (pictured), Kalach and his young team have created a lab and greenhouse in which to question, explore, and define the spaces in which they work.

Tatiana Bilbao Estudio

Tatiana Bilbao Estudio was created in 2004 by Mexican-born architect Tatiana Bilbao. The studio has completed several projects in China, Europe, and Mexico with their first and most notable project being a collaboration with designer and architect Ai Weiwei for an exhibition gallery in Jinhua, China.

---

---

Fernanda Canales

Fernanda Canales is a Mexican-born, Spanish-educated architect and designer practicing in Mexico City. Her work has received several international awards and has been exhibited in the Venice, Rotterdam, and Sao Paolo Biennales. Her most recognizable built work is the Bruma House which we featured last year and the Open Museum built around the same time.

TALLER

TALLER was established by Mauricio Rocha and Gabriela Carrillo in 1991. Their work is contemporary in design and sensitive to the context and environment in which they work. Buildings designed by TALLER, like the Oral-Criminal Court in Pátzcuaro, combine the latest technologies with local materials to find the best response to the client’s needs.

Gracia Studio

Founded by Jorge Gracia in 2004, Gracia Studio experiments with a wide variety of materials and structural systems to define their spaces. Their work is both functional and artisanal and can be seen in two of their most impressive houses, the Villa Encuentro (pictured) and Casa GA 2 in Tijuana.

Javier Senosiain Organic Architecture

The work of Javier Senosiain and his firm Architectura Organica was simply impossible to leave off this list. Best known for his Organic House, Senosiain’s work is incredibly fluid, drawing inspiration from its environment and natural forms. There’s a distinct Gaudi-like quality to his work that leaves you staring at its wonderful details and colours for hours.

Frida Escobedo

Frida Escobedo is an emerging Mexican architect best-known for her work on the Serpentine Pavilion in 2018. Escobedo was the youngest architect ever selected to work on the Serpentine Pavilion and was selected, in part, based on her design for La Tallera in Cuernavaca, and Casa Negra with her previous studio, Perro Rojo.

What do you think of the Top 10? Let us know in the comment section below.