‘Mesoamerican Modern’ redefines how we understand Mexican architecture

To walk through Mexico City is to stroll down centuries at once. The ruins of the Aztec empire are exposed on the ground beside colonial structures built from the same stones that once made up the ancient temples. A few blocks farther, 1900s European-inspired townhouses are pressed against 1940s Art Deco apartments, and modern skyscrapers shoulder through the city’s diverse skyline. Outside Mexico’s capital, a similar trend holds true. Various aesthetics that would otherwise seem incompatible...