Building confidence

Every morning before class, I walk out of my neighborhood, la Zona Rosa, across a hectic intersection of Sevilla and Chapultapec, and meander my way through Colonia Condesa before arriving at class.  Along the way I pass a dizzying array of architectural diversity.  Sleek modern towers.  Ugly concrete boxes filled with offices.  Former mansions with fading belle epoque facades.  Buildings that tilt slightly from sinking land.  Classic mid century modern apartment buildings.  Sexy newly constructed condominium towers.  As a fan of architecture, my morning walk, as well as my daily wanderings, have been filled with visual delights.   Yesterday afternoon, I added a visit to the museo de arte moderno to my afternoon tour and much to my delight there were exhibits of two Mexican architectural masters, Felix Candela and Max Cetto.

Check out: http://mam.org.mx/exposiciones/actuales.

Candela is famous for dramatic, elyptical structures.  Cetto  designed, among other things, breathtaking homes that rival Frank Lloyd Wright's Falling Water.  He was also born in Frankfurt and had to flee Nazi Germany after writing Himmler a letter criticizing the Reich.   His work made me want to transport myself magically inside the photographs and models, including an exquisite home built directly over a lake, with the lake fully integrated into the design.

Typically when I travel, I am in a bit of a desperate vacation mode, attempting to squeeze as much relaxation, enjoyment, entertainment, and stimulation as I can out of each experience.  This past week in Mexico City, not book-ended by 10 hour work days, has been a revelatory experience.  Although the trip is finite, I am not rushing about trying to take it all in.  Having an afternoon to do nothing more than revel in modern architecture truly moved me.  As I develop a new life outside of a full-time permanent job, I need to remember and tap into this mood and pace.  I don't think I need to be immersed in another culture to find it.  I just need to find it in myself.