Ignacio Díaz Morales (1905–1992) was a Mexican architect, civil engineer, and educator.
His work helped define
contemporary architecture
Contemporary architecture is the architecture of the 21st century. No single style is dominant. Contemporary architects work in several different styles, from postmodernism, high-tech architecture and new references and interpretations of tradit ...
in the state of
Jalisco
Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...
.
Díaz Morales was a founding member of the movement Tapatia School of Architecture, and in 1948 he founded the architecture department at the
ITESO, Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara (now part of
CUAAD at
University of Guadalajara
The University of Guadalajara () is a public university, public research university located in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was originally established in 1586 and officially founded on 12 February 1791 as the Royal and Pontifical University of Gu ...
).
Early life and education
Ignacio Díaz Morales was born on November 16, 1905, in
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
in
Jalisco, Mexico, to parents Trinidad Álvarez Tostado and José Díaz Morales.
His father was a lawyer and encouraged his education.
He attended
secondary school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...
at for a year in 1918, and continued at the Jesuit Institute of Sciences from 1919 to 1924.
He was also a guest student at the Escuela de Arquitectura (English: School of Architecture) in Mexico City, from 1922 to 1924.
Díaz Morales studied at
Escuela Libre de Ingenieros (English: ''Free Engineering School'') in Guadalajara led by Ambrosio Ulloa, and graduated in 1928 as an architect and civil engineer.
His classmates were
Luis Barragán
Luis Ramiro Barragán Morfín (March 9, 1902 – November 22, 1988) was a Mexican architect and engineer. His work has influenced contemporary architects visually and conceptually. Barragán's buildings are frequently visited by international ...
,
Pedro Castellanos, and .
Career
From 1928 to 1936, the four students including Barragán, Díaz Morales, Castellanos, and Urzúa introduced a new type of architecture to the Jalisco region, called the Escuela Tapatía de Arquitectura (English: Tapatia School of Architecture). The architect group collectively embraced ‘traditional modernity’ a return to traditional values while also acknowledging contemporaneity principals.
Díaz Morales designed several train stations for the American railway company
Ferrocarril del Pacífico
The Ferrocarril del Pacífico is a former railroad line company of Mexico that operated from Nogales, Sonora to Guadalajara, Jalisco via Mazatlán, Sinaloa.
It ran passenger trains between these points: ''El Yaqui'' and ''Mexicali,'' Nogales, ...
from 1930 to 1938,
including the
Nogales,
Ruiz The Spanish surname Ruiz is a patronymic from the personal name Ruy, a short form of Rodrigo, meaning "son of Roderick". Roderick's roots can be traced back to the Visigoths, the Germanic tribe which ruled in the Iberian Peninsula between the 5th an ...
, and
Guaymas
Guaymas () is a city in Guaymas Municipality, in the southwest part of the List of states of Mexico, state of Sonora, in northwestern Mexico. The city is south of the state capital of Hermosillo, and from the Mexico – United States border, U.S. ...
stations for the Sudpacífico Railway.
From 1941 to 1943, he was president of the town planning authority of Guadalajara.
He founded the School of Architecture of the ITESO, Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara in 1948 (now part of
CUAAD at
University of Guadalajara
The University of Guadalajara () is a public university, public research university located in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was originally established in 1586 and officially founded on 12 February 1791 as the Royal and Pontifical University of Gu ...
), where he brought together German and Austrian exiles after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, such as
Mathias Goeritz, and
Díaz Morales served as director of the school department from its beginning in 1948 until 1963.
He was an honorary member of the
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...
, as well as was awarded the National Academy of Architecture Award in 1986, and the
National Prize for Arts and Sciences award in 1989.
Death and legacy
Díaz Morales died on September 3, 1992, in Mexico City. He is buried in a crypt at
Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento, a church in Guadalajara.
See also
*
Architecture of Mexico
The architecture of Mexico reflects the influences of various cultures, regions, and periods that have shaped the country's history and identity. In the pre-Columbian era, distinct styles emerged that reflected the distinct cultures of the ind ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Díaz Morales, Ignacio
1905 births
1992 deaths
Mexican architects
Mexican civil engineers
20th-century Mexican educators
People from Guadalajara, Jalisco
Neoclassical architecture in Mexico
20th-century Mexican architects
National Prize for Arts and Sciences (Mexico)