Anahuacalli Museum and Extension by Juan O’Gorman and Mauricio Rocha

The Anahuacalli Museum, an enduring testament to the synthesis of pre-Hispanic heritage and modernist expression, stands as a singular architectural work within the landscape of Mexico City. Envisioned initially by Diego Rivera and executed in collaboration with Juan O’Gorman, the museum has recently undergone a sensitive extension led by Taller | Mauricio Rocha, engaging in a layered architectural dialogue across generations.

Anahuacalli Museum and Extension Technical Information

• Architects¹: Juan O’Gorman
• Renovation Architect^2-8: Taller | Mauricio Rocha
• Location: San Pablo Tepetlapa, Coyoacán, Mexico City, Mexico
• Gross Area (extension): 3,500 m² | 37,640 Sq. Ft.
• Original Construction: 1942–1964
• Extension Completion: 2023
• Photographs: © Rafael Gamo, © Onnis Luque, © Roberto Ortiz de Landazuri

I return to the people what I was able to rescue from the artistic heritage of their ancestors.

– Diego Rivera

Anahuacalli Museum and Extension Photographs

Historical Framework and Design Intent

The genesis of the Anahuacalli Museum lies in Rivera’s ambition to create a sanctuary for his vast collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts, a “temple of the arts” that would evoke the ceremonial grandeur of ancient Mesoamerican architecture. Constructed from 1942 to 1964, the project was guided by a material and spatial language that foregrounds the tactile presence of volcanic stone, specifically, tezontle and local lava rock. The fortress-like massing and stepped, pyramidal forms recall pre-Hispanic temples, anchoring the museum both physically and symbolically in the volcanic landscape of Pedregal.

Juan O’Gorman’s architectural sensibility shaped the structure’s tectonic honesty and sense of permanence. Stone walls are both expressive and load-bearing, framing interior spaces that oscillate between compressed darkness and strategic openings to light. The resulting experience is one of introspection and monumental calm, resonant with the sacred geometries of Mesoamerican architecture.

Extension by Taller | Mauricio Rocha

Nearly six decades after its inauguration, Taller | Mauricio Rocha thoughtfully expanded the Anahuacalli Museum. This extension, realized between 2021 and 2023, addresses evolving cultural and programmatic needs without compromising the integrity of the original complex. The new volumes house additional galleries, a library, workshops, and administrative spaces, subtle yet profound interventions in their architectural approach.

Taller | Mauricio Rocha’s strategy rests on understanding the museum as a site of memory and ongoing transformation. The extension’s language is deliberately restrained, allowing it to exist in quiet dialogue with the Rivera-O’Gorman composition. The contemporary additions adopt the robust materiality of the original lava stone and concrete while introducing refined tectonic articulations that reflect contemporary precision.

Spatially, the extension orchestrates a sequence of courtyards and enclosed volumes that mediate the relationship between interior and exterior, offering new vistas of the museum’s formidable geometry and the volcanic landscape beyond. These spaces are not merely additive; they reinforce the museum’s contemplative spirit, preserving its monumentality while enhancing its permeability.

Anahuacalli Museum Broader Significance

The Anahuacalli extension illustrates a careful negotiation between conservation and innovation. Rather than imposing an alien language upon a historical site, Taller | Mauricio Rocha’s work emerges as an informed, interpretive act that amplifies the museum’s cultural role without overshadowing its foundational narrative. The restrained yet evocative interventions speak to the broader questions of architectural stewardship: How can contemporary practice honor the material and symbolic weight of heritage while addressing new needs and uses?

The project underscores the importance of contextual sensitivity and cultural continuity in architectural practice. It suggests that interventions within historically charged sites must move beyond mere replication or contrast, finding instead a nuanced interplay of resonance and differentiation. In this sense, the Anahuacalli Museum and its extension form a living palimpsest, layers of architecture that speak across time, each new addition deepening the site’s meaning without erasure.

Ultimately, the expanded Anahuacalli Museum reaffirms architecture’s potential to embody memory and imagination simultaneously. It remains a testament to Rivera’s original vision, a space that venerates the past while inviting contemporary interpretation, and a compelling example of how architecture can evolve with dignity and purpose.

Anahuacalli Museum and Extension Plans

Anahuacalli Museum and Extension Image Gallery

About Juan O’Gorman 

Juan O’Gorman (1905–1982) was a visionary Mexican architect and painter whose work bridged functionalist modernism and a deep reverence for Indigenous architectural traditions. Initially influenced by Le Corbusier, O’Gorman later embraced organic forms and local materials, creating structures that celebrated Mexico’s cultural and natural context. His iconic works, including the Biblioteca Central mural at UNAM and collaborations with Diego Rivera, highlight his enduring legacy as a key figure in 20th-century Mexican architecture.

About Taller | Mauricio Rocha

Taller | Mauricio Rocha is a prominent Mexican architecture firm founded in 1991 by Mauricio Rocha Iturbide. The studio is renowned for its contemporary designs that thoughtfully engage with context, materiality, and social responsibility. Their work often explores the interplay between light and shadow, solidity and void, and the integration of architecture with its surrounding landscape. Notable projects include expanding the Anahuacalli Museum, the San Pablo Academic and Cultural Center in Oaxaca, and the Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Mexico City. The firm has received numerous accolades, including the 2023 Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize for the Anahuacalli Museum project.

Credits and Additional Notes

1. Original Design Team: Diego Rivera (vision and conceptual framework), Juan O’Gorman (architectural design and execution)
2. Extension Project and Artistic Direction: Mauricio Rocha
3. Extension Design team: Mauricio Rocha, Adrian Iturriaga, Elisa Murillo, Israel Espín, Juan Carlos Montiel, David Noble
4. Extension Structural Engineers: Grupo AGC
5. Client: Museo Diego Rivera Anahuacalli / Diego Rivera Foundation
6. Materials Original: Local volcanic stone (tezontle and lava rock), concrete
7. Materials Extension: Lava stone, concrete, glass
8. Landscape and Context: Built on the volcanic lava fields of Pedregal, Mexico City, emphasizing a deep connection to site-specific materiality and topography.