Ambivalences of the 68: the Hotel Camino Real. Part 2
A sum of talents in different areas of design, resulted in the Hotel Camino Real, symbol of modernity, tourism and national prosperity. Between applause, laughter and clashes of Cups was offered a banquet of 1.500 covered and heard the words of Gustavo Díaz Ordaz, days before the "bazooka" with which the army knocked down the door of high School 1 UNAM. This and more in the second part of this history of ambivalence, 50 years away.
The Camino Real Hotel was the result of the joint work of many national and international specialists and artists. Mathías Goeritz and Luis Barragán were the artistic consultants for outdoors and gardens. The foundations were designed by an expert in the basement, Dr. Leonardo Zeevaert and the structural elements brought to the practice by the architects Bernardo and José Luis Calderón. For the design of facilities, putting priority on the air conditioning the pan-American Engineering company was hired close to the American firm Day & Zimmerman, bringing together knowledge and experiences from both countries.
And finally, as interior design played a major role and Banamex wanted for the building a Mexican character: "We consider it convenient to look for s[…]omeone with experience in the use of traditional elements in a modern environment without falling into Absurd copies or ridiculous regionalism. " For this reason, the American artist Charles Savigny was invited to collaborate with the support of the international firm Knoll for the construction of the furniture. This company, in turn, integrated a specialized team to work on the project with its experts in interior design.
In addition, all the graphic design for stationery and other articles, uniforms and also the realization of a logo that was left in the hands of Lance Wyman, the same person who developed the graphic design for the Olympic Games of Mexico 68, had to be taken into account. And as a cherry of the cake, a sculpture by Alexander Calder, who agreed to collaborate with Legorreta's team on a visit to the work, between scaffolds, partitions and land, a work that, by the way, had to be financed separately once the figure was approved by the Hotel owners.
The work was supervised and visited several times by the directors of the Bank and by official authorities. One of the most remembered was that which took place in October 1967 when the head of the Department of the Federal District, Alfonso Corona del Rosal, the head of the Department of Tourism, Agustín Salvat and the Chairman of the organizing committee of the Games were attended. Olympic, the architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez. On behalf of the National Bank of Mexico, the director General, Agustín Legorreta, the Directors Javier Bustos and Jesús Pérez Pavón, Juan Gomez Domínguez, divisional director and the Deputy Director, Armando Chávez Camacho, attended. By stock Market Credit was its CEO, Alberto Watty. Also presented were the directors of the Camino Real Hotel, José Brockman, general manager of Western International Hotels; Federico Jiménez O'Farril, managing Director and Jorge Villarreal, head of public relations.
By June of 1968 it seemed that everything was ready, Federico Jiménez O'Farril had been appointed as General manager of the Hotel and the inauguration was planned for the 25th of July of 1968 in its facilities. And so, we came to that day when, between applause, laughter and clashes of glasses offered a banquet of 1.500 covered and heard the words of Gustavo Díaz Ordaz who proposed a toast "for the success of those who put their effort hard to build it , of those who had faith in Mexico and trust in their institutions, and thanks to that faith reached this beautiful goal that is a magnificent, beautiful hotel. "
A second toast was for the success of the institution, because it managed to boost tourism to Mexico in its double conception: "As a business that allows us to legitimately c[…]ompensate our balance of payments and a higher task: to contribute to[…] men Know each other to know the Mexicans and fall in lov[…]e with Mexico and allow us to know also men of all latitudes, to make possible, and at least contribute to that grain of sand, the understanding of all men who We constitute humanity […]"
Agustín Legorreta could not stay behind and covered in praise to the president who, along with his wife enjoyed the event, and even came to mention that he was the true author of the idea that day culminated because "it was who advised us to launch this task of Increase the capacity of hostels in Mexico and it was he who encouraged us with his encouragement and support. " It considered the work as part of the general process of the advance of the country and that the great company of peace, order and prosperity to which the president had dedicated his life, his capacity of statesman and his value of man, already belonged to the patrimony of Mexico. And then, he added: "We believe to be right in affirming that this sense of the national route has determined that our homeland is today bigger and more beautiful than the one our grandparents dreamed of, and that if we continue like this, it will be even bigger and more beautiful that it Leguemos to n ur Nietos[…] "
One day after the lavish event, several schools would go into work stoppage, the students would take the high school of the UNAM and would come the bazooka to the door of the number 1 in San Ildefonso. The list of wounded and detainees would be increased, and the tragic events of that year around the student movement would come as an unbeatable waterfall. The process of building the Camino Real Hotel, not only shows the organisational capacity of the political and economic elite of the time, how it was promoted from above the creation of a modern architecture and lavish with the best of the national and international art, also It points out the clear differences between the various sectors of society in Mexico City and the country in general. There was talk of peace, order and prosperity and he would shut up and suppress those who demanded it in the streets. All this is part of the ambivalences of that year of 1968.
by Paulina Martínez Figueroa