Mexico City’s weirdest buildings

Mexico City is 1 of the precise fewer cities successful the satellite wherever you tin spot past pyramids and Porfirian-era manors successful neighboring areas. Just arsenic it’s casual to find immoderate of the finest examples of pre-Hispanic ruins, the superior is besides location to immoderate of the astir avant-garde proposals successful modern architecture. Some precise unusual buildings, too.

Most of america are surely alert of Conjunto Calakmul — locally dubbed “La Lavadora” — in Santa Fe, acknowledgment to its unsocial washing-machine-like façade. However, beyond the firm broadside of town, radical person taken their architectural licenses earnestly and adjusted their homes and bureau spaces to acceptable their needs. Often, successful precise unusual ways. From medieval-ish estates to bureau buildings that look to levitate, present is our digest of the astir bizarre buildings successful Mexico City.

Castillo Rébsamen (Narvarte, Benito Juárez)

Someone astir the 1940s decided they wanted to unrecorded their afloat wizard phantasy and unrecorded successful immoderate benignant of kitsch, medieval castle. (Andrea Fischer)

This is 1 of those buildings successful Mexico City that nary 1 knows however it came to beryllium there. Narvarte residents similar to deliberation it conscionable appeared there, astir astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic their neighborhood was founded. There’s nary grounds of an designer oregon nonstop operation date. However, it is an icon of the bizarre architecture of the Benito Juárez borough. Thought to person been a residential medieval-like (kind of?) manor successful the 40s, this tremendous spot is present a venue for play kitsch bazaars since 2022. Certainly, it’s a show to beryllium seen erstwhile having a stroll astir the area.

• Where? Enrique Rébsamen 205, Narvarte Poniente, Benito Juárez.

Casa de las Brujas (Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc)

Only successful CDMX tin you find an flat gathering with a gigantic witch’s chapeau connected apical of its tallest tower. (Jorge Ramírez/Unsplash)

Edificio Río de Janeiro was built nether the nonstop orders of erstwhile president Porfirio Díaz. Often referred to arsenic “Edificio de las Brujas,” this 1908 operation was his mode of celebrating the Centennial of the Mexican Independence Movement. This edgy flat gathering successful the bosom of vibrant Roma Norte appears to beryllium crowned by a witch’s chapeau connected its main tower. Despite its Gothic-architecture-inspired façade, “Casa de las Brujas” has an awesome Art Déco interior design, successful summation to agelong halls and double-height rooms. I often deliberation of it arsenic the kid of a New York City flat gathering and a summertime palace successful the French province.

• Where? Plaza Río de Janeiro 56, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc.

Pyramid Center (Portales Norte, Benito Juárez)

After being (allegedly) inspired by the Mexica pyramids, designer Ibáñez Gill someway decided to build… this?  (Michael Andrew Lessin Patron)

Being the fairest of them each is mode excessively mainstream successful Mexico City. Need proof? Look nary further than the Pyramid Center successful the Benito Juárez borough. Listed among “the ugliest,” per Excélsior newspaper, this is 1 of the stars among the astir bizarre buildings successful Mexico City. The Pyramid Center is easy identified by its horrendous façade, designed and built by Mexican designer Ibáñez Gill successful the 80s. The seven-story gathering has its sanction astatine the top, too. Plus a coating of iridescent solid successful blue, lilac and acheronian blue. Literally, you can’t miss it! Poor thing, it definite is precise ugly.

• Where? Avenida Río Churubusco 91B, Portales Norte, Benito Juárez.

Casa de Casas (Granada, Miguel Hidalgo)

‘Casa de Casas’ could person easy slipped retired of the imagination of Dutch creator M. C. Escher. (Eduardo Ramírez)

Just successful beforehand of the Cervecería Modelo factory, this flat gathering consistently catches the oculus of passersby successful the Granada neighborhood, adjacent Polanco. In October of 2022, Chilango mag accurately named it “Casa de Casas.” Why? “Because connected the extortion you tin spot what looks similar tiny houses.” And yes! Every small model connected the extortion has its ain roof. Plus, a tiny location was built connected apical of it all. As with Castillo Rébsamen, determination is nary grounds of this building’s designer oregon designer. But Polanco-goers and dwellers alike cherish it. It has a curiosity that brings a grin to their faces arsenic they thrust by Calle Lago Onega and Avenida Río San Joaquín.

• Where? Lago Onega 405, Granada, Miguel Hidalgo.

Edificio Celanese (Campestre, Álvaro Obregón)

In Mexico City, buildings levitate. (ProtoplasmaKid/Wikimedia Commons – Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0)

Designed by Mexican designer Ricardo Legorreta and engineered by Leonardo Zeevaert successful 1968, Edificio Celanese’s peculiar signifier makes it look similar it’s levitating. Naturally, that’s not the case. It has a cardinal pillar of reinforced factual and alloy astatine its basal from which the remainder of the operation is detached, giving it a suspended appearance. This plan serves a purpose, too. It’s built to mitigate the earthquakes that often deed Mexico City.

• Where? Av. Revolución 1425, Campestre, Álvaro Obregón.

Andrea Fischer contributes to the features table astatine Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to beryllium an advocator for thing that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.