LAGO/ALGO is a striking modern art and cultural center nestled on the banks of Lago Mayor in the second section of Chapultepec Park, Mexico City. Housed in a hyperbolic‑paraboloid modernist building originally constructed in 1964 as Restaurante del Lago, the architecture—by Alfonso Ramírez Ponce and Leónides Guadarrama—features bold curved concrete ceilings and expansive glass facades that offer serene views of the water and forest.

Since its 2022 reopening, the site has been transformed into a hybrid venue: “LAGO” serves as a sustainable restaurant, while “ALGO” functions as a free-entry contemporary art gallery managed by Galería OMR in collaboration with CMR (Corporación Mexicana de Restaurantes). This adaptive reuse reflects a broader ambition to re‑imagine public space—turning a once-exclusive venue into an inclusive cultural hub and fostering a fresh dialogue between architecture, nature, and civic life.

Lago Algo

Exhibitions—often featuring notable Mexican and international artists—are curated in rotating programs. A recent exhibition, “Chapter VII: Shifting Grounds,” ran from February through June 2025 and explored cycles of displacement through immersive installations by local creatives Ciudad de México Secreta. Past shows, like “Form Follows Energy,” brought together works by global artists including Pia Camil, James Turrell, Atelier Van Lieshout, and Alicia Kwade, highlighting LAGO/ALGO's ambition to host world-class contemporary art in dialogue with regional context.

The Art

Parque Chapultepec

Parque Chapultepec—officially Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Forest)—is Mexico City's largest and most iconic urban park, spanning over 2,000 acres (roughly twice the size of New York's Central Park). Situated in the heart of the city, it serves as a vital green lung, cultural epicenter, and historic symbol of national identity. The park is divided into four sections, each offering a rich mix of nature, museums, historical landmarks, recreational spaces, and public art. It attracts millions of visitors annually, including locals and tourists, and plays host to everything from family picnics to major art exhibitions.

The transformation of Chapultepec into a public park began under President Porfirio Díaz in the late 19th century as part of urban modernization. Within its grounds are key cultural institutions such as the Museo Nacional de Antropología (National Museum of Anthropology), Museo de Arte Moderno (Museum of Modern Art), and Castillo de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Castle). The park also contains lakes, botanical gardens, and performance spaces like the Auditorio Nacional. In recent years, there have been major revitalization efforts to preserve ecological balance while enhancing public access and cultural programming. Today, Chapultepec stands not only as a natural refuge but as a layered historical landscape reflecting Mexico’s indigenous roots, colonial past, and modern aspirations.