CASA LOLA y LUMBRAL
Una pareja singular en un oasis de la colonia Roma
Por Marcela Aguilar y Maya
Galería, espacio creativo, residencia para artistas, talleres de arte y fotografía… todo esto y más son Casa Lola y Lumbral México, reunidos dentro de un mismo espacio en la casa ubicada en el número165 de la Avenida Baja California, en pleno corazón de La Roma. La casa de estilo funcionalista fue construida en la década de los cuarenta, para “la tía Lola”, mujer emprendedora que manejaba una gran fábrica de sombreros de la ciudad.
Durante varios años, la casa se quedó vacía y fue a penas hace cinco años cuando Alejandro Gómez de Tuddo y su hermano Mauricio iniciaron las obras de rescate para convertirla en un espacio para la creación y el arte. Lumbral ocupa la planta baja, donde las paredes de ladrillo dan testimonio del proceso de recuperación. Estos espacios a manera de cubos contenidos dentro de la casa misma, se transforman constantemente; por lo general son galerías donde se presentan interesantes exposiciones e instalaciones de artistas contemporáneos, pero en ocasiones se convierten en espacios de trabajo e investigación o en talleres transitorios, donde trabajan los artistas residentes. En los pisos superiores se encuentran las habitaciones para artistas y aquellas disponibles para cualquier persona que desee hospedarse en pleno corazón de la ciudad y convivir con creadores de todas partes del mundo.
La vegetación juega un papel protagónico, haciendo de este lugar un auténtico oasis cultural. Hoy Casa Lola está viva y su corazón es el patio central, donde crece un gran olivo; cuando se abren las puertas de vidrio de las galerías, la cocina y los estudios que lo rodean, se crea un sólo gran espacio, donde no hay fronteras entre afuera y adentro. También en la azotea crece un jardín que, junto con las áreas de descanso y la cocina abierta, lo convierten el lugar ideal para los encuentros vespertinos.
En torno al ojo guardián de Alex Rojo, anfitrión de la Casa, se ha creado una cofradía creativa donde gente de todas partes del mundo –desde Nueva Zelanda y Japón hasta Europa y América del Sur– hacen de esta su casa durante su estancia en la vibrante Ciudad de México.
CASA LOLA / LUMBRAL MÉXICO
Baja California no. 165, Roma Sur, CDMX
Info@casalolamexico.com
info@lumbralmexico.com
Tel. +52 3334990293
Instagram: @casalolamex, @lumbralmexico
ENGLISH TEXT (provided by CASA LOLA)
CASA LOLA is a residence for artists with rooms available to the general public; it is a unique space where people, ideas and works coexist.
The rooms, located on the upper floors of the recently recovered rationalist building, overlook a small patio whose center is an old olive tree. On the ground floor, CASA LOLA houses the academic and exhibition spaces of LUMBRAL.
CASA LOLA is located in the heart of multifaceted Mexico City, south of the vibrant Roma neighborhood. This section of the Colonia still preserves its neighborhood identity and its permeability to gentrification and urban growth is contained. CASA LOLA is a refuge to explore the diversity of metropolitan life.
Around the House there are all kinds of cafes, restaurants, canteens, markets and means of transport.
(bikes, buses and metro – the nearest station is a few steps away -).
Lola left her house for the port of Cadiz in the company of María, her nine-month-pregnant sister, Jaime, her brother-in-law, and her three nephews. The Spanish Transatlantic Company ship would set sail the following week for the New World, taking his only family with him. Lola, with the savings of a lifetime, gave them the tickets.
That same night, while they were saying goodbye, Maria began labor. The room was filled with uncertainty. At dawn, an ominous cry announced the death of mother and son. Three days after the funeral, Jaime, Lola and the three children embarked for America.
María’s children grew up, married three sisters and made their fortune in Mexico City. In the forties, Lola ran one of the many family businesses: the hat factory; very close, he installed his residence in the rationalist-style house that his nephews built for him in the recently inaugurated Colonia Roma.
Today, CASA LOLA opens its doors to visitors from different parts of the world who wish to fully experience the revival of this old metropolitan neighborhood, in a vibrant, warm and comfortable environment.
Colonia Roma was founded at the beginning of the 20th century. In it, the upper-class families of the Porfiriato built their mansions, following the Anglo-Saxon and French architectural canons of the time, contrary to the traditional Spanish construction model.
The first buildings were located around the town and pastures of La Romita and little by little it spread until it occupied its current size.
Walter Orrin, owner of a famous circus and businessman known for his progressive ideas for Mexico City, acquired the paddocks for a luxurious urban development.
The Mexican cities where his circus show received the most applause gave names to the streets of his subdivision.
Colonia Roma is today one of the most purposeful and vibrant neighborhoods in Mexico City. It has a first-rate cultural corridor, as well-known art galleries and cultural centers have been installed there. In addition, it offers a wide variety of restaurants with sophisticated gastronomic proposals and trendy bars.
