Last week, inspired by a magazine article, I wrote a post about examples of art deco architecture in the historic center of Mexico City. I didn't photograph all the buildings listed in the article, so a few days ago I returned to finish off the list.
On Victoria Street, a street lined with scores of lighting stores, the former headquarters of "Teléfonos de México" stands out.
The art deco building was built in 1931, and the architects were Fernando and Miguel Cervantes. (Brothers?)
Among the decorative features are carvings representing stylized telephone receivers.
(I suppose that there are some people in the younger generations who don't even know what handheld telephone receivers looks like.)
The building is still a Telmex store (the name the telephone company took when it was privatized in 1990).
I mentioned in the earlier post that one variation of art deco is called "streamline moderne". Its lines are influenced by ocean liners. Another example is the Normandie Building on Balderas Avenue. It was constructed in 1939. Although is has been much altered over the decades, its curved shape and monumental lettering indicate its art deco origin.
Today the building houses offices and a vocational school, and on the ground floor there is a Little Caesar's Pizza.
A short walk from there, on Morelos Avenue, is the YWCA Building.
"Asociación Cristiana Feminina"
The building was constructed between 1923 and 1933.
Just behind the art deco structure is a boxy, nondescript building which also belongs to the YWCA. I assume that the two buildings connect because the door to the original building is closed. If it were not for the open upper windows, I would have thought that the art deco building was abandoned.
The relief carvings at the ground level are all covered with graffiti.
There is a plaque that says that the building has was restored in 2020, but obviously there has been no maintenance. The condition of this architectural gem is a disgrace, and it speaks very poorly for the organization.
Fortunately the upper floor carvings are free of vandalism.
A few blocks away on Independencia Avenue is the Metropolitan Theatre.
It opened in 1943 as a movie theater. Its facade was inspired by Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Today it is a major venue for live musical performances. You may remember that Alejandro and I attended "Swan Lake" here a couple months ago.
Finally, on the same street as the Metropolitan is this art deco gem about which I have written frequently.
The building was constructed in 1928 as Mexico City's central fire station. Since 2006 it has housed the Museum of Popular Art, one of my favorite museums in the city.
