Teodoro González de León facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Teodoro González de León
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| Born | May 29, 1926 |
| Died | September 16, 2016 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Alma mater | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México |
| Occupation | Architect |
Teodoro González de León (born May 29, 1926 – died September 16, 2016) was a famous Mexican architect. He designed many important buildings that you can see in Mexico City and other places.
A Young Architect's Journey
Teodoro González de León studied architecture at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) from 1942 to 1947. This is one of the biggest universities in Mexico.
After he finished his studies, he received a special scholarship from the French government. This allowed him to work in France with a very famous architect named Le Corbusier. Teodoro worked with him for 18 months, from 1948 to 1949. During this time, he helped with big projects like the Unité d'Habitation in Marseille, France.
Even when he was still a student, Teodoro had a great idea for the design of the UNAM's main campus, called "Ciudad Universitaria" (University City). His teachers and other famous architects helped develop his original idea. Today, this campus is so important that UNESCO has named it a World Heritage Site. You can also see amazing murals by famous artists like Diego Rivera and Juan O'Gorman there.
Between 1955 and 1965, Teodoro worked on many city planning projects and designed several buildings.
Designing Famous Buildings
After 1969, another architect named Abraham Zabludovsky greatly influenced Teodoro's work. They worked together on many public buildings between 1974 and 1982.
Some of their joint projects include:
- The Delegación Cuauhtémoc building.
- The COLMEX building.
- The main office for INFONAVIT (a housing fund for workers).
- The National Pedagogic University.
- The Museo Rufino Tamayo (a famous art museum).
From 1984 to 1987, Teodoro designed several unique buildings in Villahermosa, a city in Mexico. He often worked with another architect, J. Francisco Serrano Cacho. Together, they designed the Mexican embassy in Berlin, Germany, between 2000 and 2001.
Teodoro also designed other important buildings in Mexico City, such as:
- The Palacio de Justicia Federal (Federal Justice Palace).
- Reforma 222, a large complex with shops, offices, and homes. It includes two of the tallest buildings in Mexico City.
- The Torre Manacar, another tall building in southern Mexico City.
Recognitions and Awards
Teodoro González de León was a highly respected architect. He became a member of the Academia de Artes in 1984 and the Colegio de México in 1988. He was also an honorary member of the International Academy of Architecture (IAA) and an academic emeritus of the Academia Nacional de Arquitectura. The UNAM also gave him an honorary doctor's degree.
He received many awards for his amazing work:
- 1982: The National Prize for Arts and Sciences in Mexico.
- 1989: The Grand Latin American award at the architecture biennale in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- 1989 and 1994: The Grand IAA award at the biennale in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- An international honorary mention at the IX Panamerican biennale of architecture in Quito, Ecuador.
- 1994: The Grand award at the II international biennale of architecture, Brazil.
- 1998: A Gold medal at the V Mexican biennale of architecture.
- 2008: A Gold medal from the International Union of Architects.
See also
In Spanish: Teodoro González de León para niños
