General PRIM

One of Mexico City's most spectacular historic sites

This house, located in the Colonia Juárez neighborhood and built in 1905 by engineer Alberto Robles Gil, is one of the great architectural gems of the Porfiriato era. It is surprising that this building ever fell into disrepair. Every period it has gone through, every different use it has had, is documented in a palimpsest of colors and materials that are remarkably well-preserved today.

Its spacious courtyards and majestic staircases, its soaring ceilings and elegant finishes, paradoxically served as the grand setting for a modest store selling glassware in the 1970s. Its previous use also does not quite fit the building’s logic, as it served as the headquarters for La Tabacalera Mexicana de Cigarros Delicados, which leased the property to the Dondé Foundation, who acquired the building in 1938.

It is only when we delve into the life of Robles Gil—who lived in that house for over thirty years—that the true significance of the place becomes apparent. This engineer oversaw major public works projects throughout the country during a period of rapid growth. Important political agreements were signed in the halls of his home, and grand receptions and balls were held there as well.

Today, the house recaptures that celebratory spirit in a building that successfully captures the poetry of ruin, thanks to its major architectural interventions and stunning landscaping. On the roof of the building, a greenhouse designed by architect Alberto Kalach is perhaps the only connection to the contemporary world.