Diving Boards: A Typology of Mexican Nationalist Optimism

Abstract

 A diving board is an architectural structure built next to a swimming pool, often with two or more levels at different heights, from which swimmers dive into the pool. These seemingly simple structures have been a space for artistic, structural and architectonic experimentation, and in some cases, have even been used for advertising and propaganda. This article analyzes a selection of diving boards from 20th Century Mexico from a historical and artistic perspective, focusing on those designs that are most important because of their innovative approach, their reproduction throughout the country or their connection to architects who played an important role in the development of Mexico’s modern infrastructure.