SITE ANALYSIS

Av. Vallarta & Av. Unión

 HISTORICAL APPROACH

COLONIA AMERICANA AND COLONIA FRANCESA

Arturo, Joaquín, Yousra

GROWTH GUADALAJARA 1850
GUADALAJARA 1883
GUADALAJARA 1900
GUADALAJARA 1920
GUADALAJARA 1942
GUADALAJARA 1960
A CLOSER LOOK

Guadalajara's planification,
as well as other hispanic
cities, followed the idea
that a city should have an
orthogonal grid.

This logic was behind its

posterior development.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Both Colonia Francesa & Americana, were

the first neighborhoods consolidated in
Guadalajara.
Ernesto Fuchs conceived the
neighborhood with an initial plan of 12
blocks and an orthogonal trace.

He defined the neighborhood as a “series

of houses surrounded by gardens and
open spaces. All this conformed a more
country styled neighborhood with houses
designed in a way that light could enter
from all facades, greek ornamentation was
included. His iconic building of “Fabricas de
Francia” included all this attributes.
COLONIA FRANCESA

1898- two years after the previous

plan, Both colonies started
approximately a the same time; la
Col. Francesa and Col. Porfirio Díaz-
Americana.

Technically speaking both were

consolidated at the same time, but
the “Colonia Francesa” is
considered to be the pioneer
because the project never changed
its name or concept.
COLONIA REFORMA (unified both colonies)
TODAY- Colonia Americana

“Colonia Americana”, the name given to a large section of the city’s center. initially reduced to a an area of a few
blocks; a polygon that was originally limited by avenida Enrique Díaz de León Sur till Chapultepec Sur and also from
Mexicaltzingo to López Cotilla.
The zone was urbanized during the first decade of the XXth century. It is an area where can find great examples
of Porfirian residential architecture, some of them functioning today as a distinguished social club to host
private events.
Av. Tolsá y Calle Placeres

Av. Tolsá y Calle Placeres

Edificio Fábricas de Francia -crossed avenues 16 Septiembre and Juarez

Las Fabricas de Francia

opened their doors in the
center of Guadalajara in a
neoclassical style, however,
they went under a
rehabilitation to convert the
facade into a Parisian-style
building for a certain period
of time.
CASA CLOVER LAWN

Clover Lawn is a large

house that stands out in
Guadalajara for its
Victorian style. The
property was built in 1908
and stands out for being
an architectural element
representing a time in the
city.
Hotel Garcia by calle madero

It was located in
Franciaco I Madero
street and Ramón
Corona Avenue where
today is the parking
lot and Mulbar
building
Chapultepec n°201 Esquina Libertad (café Azteca)

Housing program during the

60s. We can sense the
influence of modernism and
functionalism :
simple lines
geometry
verticality
TODAY - COLONIA FRANCESA

La Francesa was the first colonia known as “hygienic” in the urban area, followed by la Reforma, la Americana,
la Moderna and la West End, built in different periods and therefore counting different styles, but keeping an
european vision, creating spaces surrounded by trees, open houses and large avenues.

From the same period, there are some houses that copied the frenchified style. Others were influenced by
english architecture and styles. Other houses, built a few years later, in the 1920, represent the style of
Guadalajara’s School of Architecture.
Chalet martinez gallardo (lafayette entre Lopez cotilla y la paz)

It was located on the west

sidewalk of Avenida La
Fayette and Libertad
between the current
avenues López Cotilla and La
Paz. Its location was
privileged and it was
undoubtedly meticulously
chosen, it was almost
exactly at the end of
Libertad Avenue, so from its
windows and balconies you
could enjoy the view of the
pleasant and tree-planted
avenue that connected the
colonia Americana with
colonia Reforma.
Avenida LaFayette today avenida Chapultepec

Lafayette avenue (today

Chapultepec) was used as a
recreational space and the
public pathway for all the
people living nearby. It is a
space where a lot of
emblematic architecture
figures built their houses
(such as Luis Barragan, Pedro
Urzua, Ignacio Diaz Morales,
Julio de la Peña,...)
CALLE PEDRO MORENO
LA CASA BLANCA

It is a remarkable building
located in Avenida Vallarta.
It was built in an eclectic
style. The garden is located
at the front, leaving a space
in relationship to the street.
The last intervention was to
adapt it to a restaurant.
CASA DE LOS PERROS

It is one of the old properties

in the historic center of
Guadalajara, where legends
are narrated. It is popularly
known as "La Casa de los
Perros", and is the place
where the first printing press
in Guadalajara was installed
and is currently the Museum
of Journalism and the
Graphic Arts.