The Luis Barragán House

“What we seek, at the deepest level, is inwardly to resemble, rather than physically to possess, the objects and places that touch us through their beauty.”

That’s Alain de Botton in The Architecture of Happiness, a book I thought about today as we toured the house designed and lived in by the Mexican architect Luis Barragán.

It’s a house designed to make you feel—and it does. The artful interplay of natural light with brightly painted walls, movable partitions, and cruciform shutters… it’s a stunning experience.

I’d seen photos, so I knew to expect generous open spaces and bright colors. But Barragán’s house is also full of religious iconography, something that took me by surprise.

This house reflects who Barragán was. If de Botton is right, it also reflects—in the serenity of the space and the brightness of the walls and the devotional touches throughout—who Barragán wanted to be.

It’s a good house. I’m glad the world has it.