Refugio Reyes Rivas
Birth:
Death:
Occupation:
Refugio Reyes Rivas was born on September 2, 1862, on the ranch of La Sauceda, in Zacatecas. He completed up to the third year of primary school in Guadalupe. At the age of 14, he was hired as a mason to work on the construction of the chapel in Naples, in the same state. Thanks to his dedication and talent, he quickly advanced from apprentice to mason and eventually became a master builder.
During the 1880s, he worked alongside English and American engineers on the construction of the Mexican Central Railway in Zacatecas. The experience and knowledge he acquired during this period later enabled him to create buildings of remarkable beauty and architectural daring.
His first major works of this kind were the Great Market of Zacatecas and the clock tower of the Franciscan convent in Guadalupe.
He began his work in Aguascalientes thanks to Antonio Morfín Vargas, a merchant and landowner of the city who commissioned him to build the Temple of San Antonio, whose construction began in 1896. This and other projects commissioned by Morfín’s family and friends led Refugio Reyes to settle in Aguascalientes, where he would carry out most of his work.
Refugio Reyes’ work was contemporary with, and parallel to, the international architectural trends of his time. In his constructions, he harmoniously combined Gothic, Romanesque, Byzantine, pre-Hispanic, Baroque, Mozarabic, and Art Nouveau styles, while remaining independent from their strict rules and canons.
In addition, Reyes carried out numerous works for the state and municipal governments, as well as repairs and adaptations of public buildings. He also designed streets and bridges. His work became so significant that in the 1920s he was appointed Director of Public Works for the Aguascalientes City Council. Later, Refugio Reyes worked as a contractor for Carlos M. Lazo and Federico Mariscal on projects that had been commissioned to some of the finest architects in Mexico.
Among his most notable works are the Temple of San Antonio, the Bank of Zacatecas, the Escobedo Mansion, the Ortega Llaguno Castle, and Chalet Duglas. He also designed and built affordable housing projects.
Discover the works of Refugio Reyes in Aguascalientes: Refugio Reyes Route
