Intrinsic weakness? Preservation of Modern architecture in Mexico City in the aftermath of 2017 earthquake

Abstract

Once again, more than any other architecture in Mexico City, Modern architecture embodied the tragedy that resulted from the 2017 quake, exactly 32 years after the 1985 earthquake; furthermore, it exposed its seeming structural weakness. Whilst in that same period of time, debate had turned its attention from a critical stand point concerning modern architecture’s theoretical and conceptual validity, towards a reprisal of its architectural qualities and a perception of it being part of our architectural heritage, meaning a shared will to preserve it. The recent catastrophe marked a turning point in that process, imposing us the need to rethink its relationship with society in broader terms, and even ponder the feasibility of its future preservation.