The painter, Juan O'Gorman was born on July 6, 1905, in Coyoacan. His mother was Mexican but his father was an Irish descendent, also a painter. Juan attended the Academy of San Carlos and the National Autonomous University, earning a degree in Art and Architecture. He worked in modern functionalism, the first to introduce the style to Mexico and became a favored architect. One of his most well known projects was the design of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's adjoining houses. He also designed 26 elementary schools across Mexico.
Later in O'Gorman's career he abandoned the true functionalism style and moved toward organic functionalism, which combined the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and the traditional Mexican style.
His greatest work is the Central Library at Ciudad Universitaria. It is enhanced with large murals covering the 4 exterior walls, made up of millions of mosaic tiles and stone. The murals depict the past as well as contemporary Mexico.
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