Casa Max Cetto: Architecture as a Living Experience

Architecture has the power to connect time and place, to turn materials, light, and landscape into a shared story of culture and vision. In Mexico City, few places express this connection as clearly as Casa Max Cetto. Located in Jardines del Pedregal, a neighborhood built over the lava fields of the ancient Xitle volcano, the house stands as one of the strongest examples of how modern architecture in Mexico grew from the land itself.

On October 13th, Architecture Hunter, in collaboration with Studio Tavola and presented by The Agency Mexico City, brought together a group of Mexican architects and designers for a special evening at this landmark home. Supported by Clásicos Mexicanos, Diptyque, Tequila 1800, and Legado Jardines del Pedregal, with food by Cariñito Tacos, the gathering celebrated creativity, collaboration, and the power of place.

The house was designed by the German-Mexican architect Max Cetto, one of the key figures in Mexico’s modernist movement. Completed in 1949, it reflects an approach that joined international modernist ideas with local identity, materials, and nature. Cetto, a contemporary of Luis Barragán and collaborator of José Villagrán García, believed that architecture should grow naturally from its environment. In Casa Max Cetto, volcanic stone walls meet tropical vegetation, large windows open to the garden, and every surface speaks of the dialogue between man-made structure and natural setting.

As the evening light faded over Pedregal’s rugged landscape, the event became more than a dinner. Conversations flowed across the garden and through the house’s stone corridors, linking past and present visions of design. It was a moment of reflection on how architecture continues to evolve while carrying its history forward.

For Architecture Hunter, this gathering marked the closing chapter of its time in Mexico City, a moment that celebrated both heritage and contemporary creativity. Casa Max Cetto once again proved that great architecture is not static; it grows, connects, and continues to inspire those who walk through its doors.

In collaboration with Studio Tavola
Presented by The Agency

Supported by: Clásicos Mexicanos; Dyptique; Tequila 1800; Legado Jardines del Pedregal & food by Cariñito Tacos

Location: Mexico City, Mexico

_article written by Daniela Moreira da Silva

_videographer and photographer:
Andrea Martínez Mares (@amm.films) 

_photographer:
Galia Kleinburg Amezcua (@kleinburg.productions)

_house photographer:
Luis Gordoa