Sarah Selvidge

“Modernism and Miracles” follows the trajectory of modern architecture in twentieth-century Mexico, demonstrating the long-term impact of architectural ideas on social welfare policy and national politics. By analyzing architectural discourse and praxis as well as the policies of state agencies, the project brings together the study of the urban built form with analysis of political and economic change. Beginning with debates about functionalism and the social role of architects after the triumph of the Mexican revolution in 1920 through the establishment of a financial regime for housing policy in the 1970s, the project relies upon close reading of buildings and visual culture, as well as engagement with transnational and local intellectual debates, to show how urban development in Mexico shaped political issues ranging from social security and labor relations to development finance.