José Villagrán García facts for kids
José Villagrán García (born September 22, 1901 – died June 10, 1982) was an important Mexican architect. He is remembered for his modern building ideas and for helping to design the main campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
A Career in Architecture
José Villagrán García studied architecture from 1918 to 1922 at the Academy of San Carlos. Later, this academy became part of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He eventually became the head of the architecture department there.
Villagrán García was one of many young architects who worked during the time of President Alvaro Obregón (1920–1924). This was right after the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920). The Minister of Public Education, José Vasconcelos, believed that Mexican buildings should have special meaning.
Designing the National Stadium
One of Villagrán García's big projects was designing the huge National Stadium in Mexico City. This stadium was built in a style called neo-Colonial, which looked back to older Mexican designs. It could hold at least 30,000 people!
Because it was so large, the stadium needed to be made of concrete. However, the concrete also included stone and volcanic tezontle. This was a way to bring back the building style from the 1700s.
Awards and Recognition
José Villagrán García received important awards for his work. He won the National Prize for Arts and Sciences in 1968. Later, in 1980, he was given the National Prize of Architecture.
See also
In Spanish: José Villagrán García para niños
- Modernist architecture in Mexico
