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Ixcateopan #78, Col. Vértiz Narvarte. 03600
A church by Félix Candela. Built in 1956 by the Spanish-Mexican architect and engineer Félix Candela, this is one of the most important works of twentieth-century religious architecture in Mexico — and nothing like the baroque, neoclassical or churrigueresque churches elsewhere in the city.
What makes it remarkable. Candela built in thin-shell reinforced concrete, in warped surfaces called hyperbolic paraboloids, producing roofs only a few centimetres thick that need almost no internal support. Here the result is a pitched main nave with concrete peaks running down the sides, and at the entrance a triangular wall of polychrome glass that works as the facade and floods the interior with coloured light.
Inside. A brick wall rises behind the altar carrying a retable with three figures: the Miraculous Virgin flanked by a pair of angels. The space is austere, geometric and startlingly light.
Why it matters. Candela's shell structures made him internationally influential, and this church is the one most often cited. If you have any interest in modern architecture, it justifies the trip out of the centre on its own.
Practical notes. Ixcateopan #78, colonia Vértiz Narvarte. Metro Etiopía and Eugenia, line 3, are within walking distance. Entry is free; visit outside mass times and keep photography discreet.
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