Liverpool Insurgentes

Liverpool Insurgentes is a department store opened in 1962. Other cities around the world closed these stores in the 1980s, and have regretted it ever since. It’s a remarkably elegant and sumptuous tribute to a a long gone era. The aesthetic – jazz and jet age, late-functionalist, and what English speakers call “Mid-Century Modern” is here on full and lavish display.

The branch was one of the first in the country to integrate the building-plaza concept, although the Liverpool Group wouldn’t become a real estate holding company and developer for another 20 years. This store connected to the Galerías Insurgentes with bridges and underground walkways. An original open air plaza gave way to a later store expansion. And with a remodeling by architect Michel Rojkind, the store has remained remarkably faithful to the era of its inception.

Today the Liverpool Insurgentes, and the attached Galerías, are still a welcome stop for international visitors. The mall has all the standard shops and boutiques and eateries. But the real star here is the anchor. For visitors certain of a post-retail age, there may be some surprises in store, even if your not out shopping.