Max Cetto House

The Max Cetto House-Studio is more than just a space: it's a manifesto of its time. Built in the 1940s, it was the first residence in Jardines del Pedregal, an urban and architectural project that embodied the modernity of the so-called Mexican Miracle . It was a time when Mexico dreamed big, and architecture—along with design, art, and industry—responded with works intended to endure.

Max Ludwig Cetto, a German architect exiled to Mexico after the war, found fertile ground in Pedregal for his vision: to integrate architecture into the landscape rather than dominate it. Volcanic stone, wood, austere walls, and modern lines shaped a house that is now an icon of Mexican architectural heritage. Cetto was also a generous teacher: his influence is such that the Faculty of Architecture at UNAM bears his name in one of its graduate schools.

That same quest—for pieces designed to last, to engage with their surroundings, to tell a story—is what we share at Gramo. Photographing here wasn't just an aesthetic choice, but an act of affinity. Time passes, cities change, but some ideals—beauty with purpose, simplicity with character—remain, like the Max Cetto house.