Alejandro Zohn

Alejandro Zohn (August 8, 1930 in Vienna - 2000 in Guadalajara) was a Mexican architect. He was a holocaust survivor who grew up in western Mexico.

Alejandro Zohn studied at the Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico, graduating as an engineer in 1955 and as an architect in 1963. His abilities as an engineer are reflected in several bold and ingenious structures that derive partly from the precepts of Félix Candela. Notable examples are the acoustic shell (1958) in Agua Azul Park, the Libertad Market (1959) and the 'Adolfo López Mateos' sports centre (1962), all in Guadalajara.

The market is especially noteworthy for its roof of hyperbolic paraboloids, which allow for wide areas without supports. He also built residential blocks, paying careful attention to details of interior functionality, the durability and maintenance of materials and residents’ individuality. The housing complex 'CTM-Atemajac' (1979), Guadalajara, is one of his main achievements in this area, comprising several buildings with brick facing, none more than five stories.

Among his numerous other designs in Guadalajara, the most notable are the Banco Refaccionario de Jalisco (1973), the plaza del sol, the 'Mulbar' shopping centre and car park and the Archivo del Estado de Jalisco building (1989). The latter is in exposed concrete and has a minimum of openings, giving it the appearance of a sculptured fortress. Zohn's own house (1989), also in the city, is in a more intimate, emotional style and has affinities with the vernacular architecture of the Jalisco area.

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