Casa Pedregal / Casa Prieto López

All photos Copyright ©2024 Casa Pedregal –

The Casa Pedregal is the former Casa Prieto López. It’s in many ways as famous for being the first in Jardínes del Pedregal de San Ángel as it is famous for the architect  Luis Barragán. The neighborhood would grow to legendary mid-century status as the new look of everything modern, sophisticated, and chic. And only much later would the neighborhood succumb to over-development and laissez-faire sprawl. But it was this house where Barragán’s vision first came to full fruition. It set the tone for decades of design and development to come, and in many ways, it continues even today.

The house was planned in 1948, and construction began in 1949 on a lot of some 15,000 square meters. Construction lasted some three years due to the relative difficulty of the plot of land, and the sheer scale of the project. But upon completion, it immediately set the standard for the entire area. Images conveyed a new, modern, and spacious way of living and this helped to fuel the movement of the well-heeled to the south of Mexico City.

Barragán designed the entire home, gardens, and the furnishings and decorations within the home. Barragán’s preserved existing native plants and worked around the iron-hard rock for which the area is famous. The design includes part of the building inserted within the ground’s sloping gradient. And the interconnected living, dining, and breakfast look out onto views of the extensive gardens.

The volcanic rock is in constant contrast to the geometric planes of the house. Painted in a pale terracotta, construction re-emphasizes the dark stone at every turn.

The Restoration

The Prieto López family occupied the house from 1951 until 2006. The family had made some minor changes but a restoration in 2013 largely returned the home to its original state. Today, collector César Cervantes occupies the home with his family. He worked with architect Jorge Covarrubias to bring the home back to its original glory.

Today, the Pedregal House is open only by appointment and guests should write a few days in advance.

Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.