The La Nacional Building, built in 1932 by Manuel Ortiz Monasterio, Luis Ávila and Bernardo Calderón, was designed to house the workers of the life insurance company. With 13 floors, 55 meters high and a surface area of 13,000 m², it is built of reinforced concrete on stilts. Its design reflects Mexico's economic progress after the revolution, highlighting the mastery of construction techniques to deal with the difficulties of the lake subsoil of Mexico City. The architect Ortiz Monasterio, influenced by the Neoclassical, Art Nouveau and Beaux-Arts styles, fused them with pre-Hispanic elements. The design of the building projects a national strength, symbolized by the ascending dynamism, the energy contained in the forms and an iconographic game that refers to the indigenous Mesoamerican past. Sculptor Manuel Centurión was responsible for the relief entitled “Life Insurance,” which shows an angelic figure extending wings and arms to protect three figures representing the stages of life: childhood, maturity, and old age. In addition, Centurión designed the reliefs above the elevator doors of the building.
Architects: Manuel Ortiz Monasterio - Luís Ávila / Bernardo Calderón. Sculptor: Manuel Centurión. MMLXXXII. Location: Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas corner Avenida Juárez. Federal District. Mexico. Printed in 2024 by La Estructura Nacional and Utilitario Mexicano. Illustration and design: Fernando Aldama Baltazar.
Size: 91.5 x 50 cm. Paper: Kronaline 180 g. Printed in 4-color silkscreen by Taller 75. The Mexican National and Utility Structure. Illustration and Design: Fernando Aldama.
