Artistic and Urban Contributions of Engineer Ortega Douglas in the City of Aguascalientes, Mexico (1948-1969)

Abstract

In 1948, the engineer Luis Ortega Douglas started building houses and schools in Aguascalientes, Mexico. He also became the main City Hall Administrator. Ortega Douglas changed the city profiles thanks to his power and the relationships he used to have as a political leader. Also he got some help from the President of Mexico: Adolfo Ruiz Cortines. Ortega Douglas worked as hard as his father John Douglas educated him, whom at the beginning of the century had established an important mill, and also brought the electrical power to Aguascalientes City. Based on historic papers found it was demonstrated that Ortega Douglas followed foreign ideas to change architecture and urbanism in the city. Ortega Douglas built several important modern buildings on Madero Avenue. Ortega Douglas built a Chalet on Vázquez del Mercado Avenue and even a big cinema on Alameda Avenue. He changed the city image to a modern place to live. Also he rebuilt the main mall in the city centre, -named Parián, based on his thesis work. After administrating the city, Ortega Douglas became a constructor and continued building as well. He also became Governor of the State of Aguascalientes in 1956. From 1956 to 1962 he was a big influence in the city planning and promoted the usage of the cars to increase the speed to get from one point to another within the city. Once a Governor, he followed the city planning Jesús María Rodríguez had used, -as a former Governor, to change the city and also followed a few designs of Carlos Contreras to make Aguascalientes a modern city. Ortega Douglas promoted the construction of López Mateos Avenue and also the two main rings (avenues) that contained the city to show how Aguascalientes could become an important city in the nation. The paper pretends to show how Ortega Douglas decided to promote the usage of cars and settled new ways to design the city, based on modern ideas.