Greetings!
I was helping a student research Victor Horta's influence on architecture and in going through some images of other art nouveau buildings we stumbled upon the spectacular Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico, originally a mercantile center building between 1895 to 1899 but converted to a hotel in 1968. From the images we've found online, it is a stunning structure. We've mostly come across tourist/travel sites that report it has having been built by an Army engineer named David Garza under supervision of Frenchman Sebastian Roberts, with glass by Jacques Gruber (source:
http://allmyfriendstravel.com/gran-hotel-ciudad-de-mexico/)
We found one book on the architectural history of Mexico City that seems like it would address this era: Mexico City : historic center by Galindo (México, D.F. : Ediciones Nueva Guía : Telmex, 2002, ©1997.) but would be very happy to receive your recommendations.
I found this very useful site about this Jacques Gruber but haven't determined if a catalogue accompanied this exhibition:
I have searched Art Full Text but I don't have access to the Avery. Any recommendations for sources you can provide on the building or its architects/designers would be greatly appreciated!
Field trip, anyone?
Many thanks,
Rebecca
Rebecca KohnAssociate Librarian, San Jose State University Library
Liaison to Art and Art History, Design, and Philosophy
408.808.2007
California Libraries Association's 116th Annual Conference November 2014 #CLABeTheChange