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Antonio Rivas Mercado | |
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| Born | (1853-02-26)26 February 1853 Tepic Territory, Mexico |
| Died | 3 January 1927(1927-01-03) (aged 73) Mexico City, Mexico |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Spouse | Matilde Castellanos Haaf |
| Children | 6, includingAntonieta Rivas Mercado |
| Buildings | |
Antonio Rivas Mercado (26 February 1853 – 3 January 1927) was a Mexican architect, engineer and restorer. He is considered the preeminent Mexican architect of the late 19th century and early 20th century. His most famous project was the design of theIndependence Column in downtownMexico City. He was the director of theAcademy of San Carlos from 1903 to 1912.
Rivas Mercado was born inTepic in the thenTerritory of Tepic, on 26 February 1853.[1] His parents decided to send him to study inEurope at the age of 10. Eventually, he studiedFine Arts andArchitecture at theÉcole des Beaux-Arts inParis.[1]
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Rivas Mercado returned toMexico City in 1879 to practise as an architect and teach at the Schools of Engineering and Architecture (today part of theNational Autonomous University of Mexico).
Among Rivas Mercado's various projects figure the house that eventually became theWax Museum of Mexico City; the restoration ofhaciendas of historical importance such as theHacienda of Tecajete in the State ofHidalgo, andChapingo in theState of Mexico; thecustoms building inTlatelolco; the restoration of several government buildings including thefacade of theTown Hall in Mexico City; and his own house in Mexico City, now preserved as a historical building.
TheTeatro Juárez inGuanajuato began construction in 1873 under architectJosé Noriega. Following construction interruptions, the project was taken up by Rivas Mercado andAlberto Malo in 1893.[1] Previously a purely Neoclassical project, it gained anEclectic style under the new architects. TheNeoclassical exterior andMoorish Revival andArt Nouveau interiors are a clear reflection of Rivas Mercado's eclectic architectural style.
In 1902 he was commissioned by PresidentPorfirio Díaz to design and build theIndependence Column on occasion of the 100th anniversary of the beginning of theMexican War of Independence. The project, which he realised in collaboration with sculptorEnrique Alciati, was finished in 1910, the same year as the anniversary.
Between 1884 and 1910, Rivas Mercado was aFederal Deputy representing Guanajuato.[2]
Rivas Mercado was Director of theEscuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Mexico City from 1903 to 1912. He instituted new methods of study and design and is said to have modified the curriculum of the "Architecture and Civil Engineering" major in order to make two different ones out of it. During his tenure he fundedDiego Rivera's scholarship to studypainting in Europe.
PresidentVenustiano Carranza commissioned Rivas Mercado to renovate the Military Academy annex of Chapultepec Castle to better accommodate a presidential residence. Shortly after his work on Chapultepec Castle, he moved back to Paris. However, he returned to Mexico in 1926 and died a few months later in Mexico City, aged 74.
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He was the father ofAntonieta Rivas Mercado.
On 26 February 2019,Google celebrated what would have been Mercado's 166th birthday with aGoogle doodle.[3]
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