Luis Barragan (March 9th, 1902 - November 22nd, 1988) was a prominent twentieth - century Mexican architect and landscape architect. Highly impressed by writings of German-born French landscape architect and illustrator Ferdinand Bac, who wrote: "The soul of gardens contains the greatest amount of serenity in all of man's work", Barragan situated many of his designs amid natural backdrops, such as lava rock outcrops and groves of trees. His understanding of aesthetics allowed him to design urban landmarks, as well as furniture and landscapes.

A unique feature, as can be seen in many of his residential interiors and fountain designs, is the typical use of tall (3.5m [12ft.] or more) coloured walls, influenced by and modified from traditional Mexican buildings, rooted in Moorish-inspired Spanish architecture.

Barragan said: "I believe in an emotional architecture. It is very important for humankind that architecture should move by its beauty; if there are many equally valid technical solutions to a problem the one which offers the user a message of beauty and emotion, that one is architecture... I believe that architects should design gardens to be used, as much as the houses they build, to develop a sense of beauty and the taste and inclination towards the fine arts and other spiritual values."

Luis Barragan's best known works include the garden at El Pedregal (1945-1950), his own home in Mexico City (1947), the Chapel for the Capuchinas Sacramentarias del Purisimo Corazon de Maria (1952-1955)and the Towers of Satellite City (1957).