The story
Welcome. You are standing before one of Mexico City’s most elegant survivors. Look up at the towering white facade of Avenida México 187.
This is the Edificio Basurto, a masterpiece that redefined the skyline of Colonia Condesa when it was completed in 1945. To understand this building, you first have to understand where you are. We are standing on the grounds of what was once a grand horse racing track, which explains the curved, oval shape of the streets and nearby Parque México.
When architect Francisco J. Serrano designed the Basurto, he wasn’t just building an apartment block; he was creating a vision of modernity. At fourteen stories tall, it was one of the first true skyscrapers in a neighborhood known for its low-rise mansions.
Notice the style. It is a late, more fluid version of Art Deco known as Streamline Moderne. See those rounded corners and the long vertical lines that seem to stretch toward the clouds?
It looks less like a traditional building and more like a luxury ocean liner docked in the middle of the city. But the true secret of the Basurto is hidden inside. If you could step through the entrance and look up, you would see one of the most photographed sights in the capital: the helical staircase.
It isn’t just a way to get between floors; it is a concrete whirlwind. From the ground floor, looking up through the eye of the stairs is like looking through a kaleidoscope of geometric shadows. This design wasn’t just for beauty, though.
Serrano designed the building in the shape of a cross. This allowed every single apartment to have natural light and ventilation from three different sides, which was a revolutionary idea for urban living at the time. That cross-shaped layout is also why the Basurto is a legend of engineering.
On the morning of September 19, 1985, Mexico City was hit by a devastating earthquake. Many buildings in the soft, lake-bed soil of Condesa crumbled. People held their breath as the Basurto swayed, but it did not fall.
Its unique structural symmetry allowed it to absorb the shock waves better than its rectangular neighbors. It stood firm again during the 2017 quake, proving that its beauty is matched only by its strength. As you walk past the lobby, take a moment to admire the black-and-white marble floors and the original brass details.
This building isn’t a museum; it is a living part of the neighborhood. It has been home to artists, intellectuals, and families who have watched the Condesa transform around them for decades. The Edificio Basurto remains a silent witness to the city’s history—a white stone beacon of resilience and style that simply refused to bow to the earth’s fury.