Musings: Luis Barragán.

The Art of Seeing. It is essential to an architect to know how to see: I mean, to see in such a way that the vision is not overpowered by rational analysis.

We often pass through places that leave a lasting impression within us. The smell, temperature, light, color and so much more contribute to the why behind why we have such fond, or negative, memories of a space.

For me, it’s the colors and shapes. The way the light and absence thereof create lines, which compliment against the natural and placed fixtures, moves me. The right mix can be poetic.

Mexican architect Luis Barragán perfectly used natural light to highlight colors within his creations in a wabi-sabi manner.

Barragán’s approach changed my perspective on the way I perceive shapes within a space. Where I didn’t see opportunities to appreciate shadows before, I do now.

His light to shadow to color balance reminds me of how I see all three within myself and my being.