Saint Augustine House
Encyclopedia
It is a monument located in the Historic center of Mexico City
Historic center of Mexico City
The historic center of Mexico City is also known as the "Centro" or "Centro Histórico." This neighborhood is focused on the Zócalo or main plaza in Mexico City and extends in all directions for a number of blocks with its farthest extent being west to the Alameda Central The Zocalo is the largest...

, on the corner of the streets Republic of Uruguay and 5 of February, (previously streets of Don Juan Manuel and la Joya respectively), it got its name because it was property of the order of the Augustinians
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...

, whose convent was located next to this building.


The order of the Augustinians owned several properties in the old Mexico City, besides the convent the Augustinians owned: The college of San Pablo (today Juárez Hospital), the Hacienda of Santa Monica (in Tlalnepantla) the hostel of Santo Tomas de Villanueva (today a boutique Hotel), the hostel of San Nicolas de Tolentino (today property of the UNAM
Unam
UNAM or UNaM may refer to:* National University of Misiones, a National University in Posadas, Argentina*National Autonomous University of Mexico , the large public autonomous university based in Mexico City...

) the Novitiate and its Chapel (In the street Republic of El Salvador), besides several houses in the area of the Historic Center of Mexico City.

The exact date of the construction is not known. The oldest photographs of the building are from late 19th century when the photography was consolidated in Mexico, but the building was constructed during the colonial period at the end of 17th century or the beginning of the 18th century, since it has typical elements of the domestic architecture of that period. but the characteristic that more emphasizes in the facade of the San Agustín House are the Ajaracas: A decoration of Arab origin that consists of mortar lines interlaced to each other forming figures. Those of Saint Agustine house are one of the very few examples of colonial Ajaracas that are conserved in the Historical Center of Mexico City.

About this building, the expert in historical sciences Francisco de la Maza comments that:

In 1924, the building was fully remodelated by the civil engineer Luis Robles Gil, who was Manuel Tolsa
Manuel Tolsá
Manuel Tolsá was a prolific Neoclassical architect and sculptor in Spain and Mexico.-Biography:...

´s great grandson. 3 floors were added in neo-colonial style, with arches, gargoyles and sculpture of the Virgin of Guadalupe while the interior was decorated with thousands of talavera tiles and iron forged handrails.

In the mid 30's the roof of the building was adapted as a terrace in order to lodge a restaurant. At that time the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...

, style was already present in Mexico and its influence can be appreciated in some details of the terrace like the geometrized battlements and the two small domes.

After 1928 the building lodged the Hotel Ontario, which worked until the 80' s, when the zone was deteriorated as a result of the Earthquake of 1985 and the operation of the hotel was no longer viable. After that the building remained semi abandoned, with small offices and stores and even a night club in the mid nineties, until its full renovation to lodge a Hampton Inn
Hampton Inn
'Hampton Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Hampton by Hilton are the names of a brand of hotels trademarked by Hilton Worldwide. Most Hampton hotels are independently owned and operated by franchisees, though a few are owned and/or managed by the Hilton Hotels Corporation...

and Suites hotel that opened since December 2008.

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