ABSTRACT
Walls are an essential tectonic feature of Barraganian architecture and are clearly distinguishable by their materials and colours. The surfaces of the walls are never smooth; rather, they are coated in thick plaster, giving rise to the solid, palpable texture that characterizes Barragan's walls. Inside Barragan's buildings, colour is employed as an agent for metamorphosing spaces and creating different ambiences. The proportions and bright colours of the walls, combined with their interstices and geometric features, generate an overall monumental aura. Barragan's coloured walls finally became pieces of sculpture in the Ciudad Satelite scheme, which he designed in association with Mathias Goeritz. The design of the high-rise buildings testifies to the close working relationship between the sculptor and the architect. The kancha at Ollantaytambo was a walled compound with a central courtyard surrounded by four buildings, leaving small open courts in the four corners.
