Ricardo Legorreta dies at 80

I have a troubled relationship with the work of Ricardo Legorreta. The Mexican architect designed fascinating buildings all over the world and I've walked through his El Camino Real Hotel on Reforma in Mexico City on several occasions, mesmerized.

But he also is responsible for the latest (circa-1993) iteration of Pershing Square, a 1-minute walk from our apartment in DTLA. This may be my single least favorite public space in the neighborhood because of the amazing potential that it had due to its strategic location and the high-pedigree of its designer. To be fair, the city has not invested in the square with the upkeep and occasional new paint that it deserves, and hopping on to the dirt track on NE corner can make life in the big city seem a little more peaceful, at least for a few steps. I'll just say that the relative lack of grass, faded paint, and fortress-like walls, which cut it off from the city, are in need of new thinking.

But the rest of his work, from private homes to hotels to shopping centers, is by and large awesome. In these other designs, his thick walls, recessed windows which cast angular shadows all day long, and bright colors perfectly blend Mexican modernism with its past.