Thus, this departmental store caused great fury during its inauguration in 1899, not only for its size and wide variety of items, but for its ornamental elegance, which included old candlesticks, elevators and its main attraction: the Tiffany stained glass On the roof.
What is behind Tiffany's stained glass?
Without a doubt, the greatest attraction of Gran Hotel in Mexico City It is the Tiffany stoker, Although few know their story. In fact, this stained glass window was not at its inauguration in 1899, but it was placed until 1906.
With more than 20 thousand pieces of colored glass, Tiffany's stained glass window was designed by French Jacques Grüber, One of the most prominent artists from the Nancy School, who used the “puzzle” technique to assemble this monumental piece.
Although it was armed in France, the stained glass the largest stained glass window and the largest room in the world.
Under the style Art nouveau, This stained glass window was characterized by the use of abundant and intertwined plant, colorful, with reverberant garlands and isolated leaves. Although this allowed the passage of sunlight, more than one hundred lamps were placed To illuminate it at night.
Thanks to your elegance, monumentality and color light games, This stained glass window became the main attraction of the city, since the entrance was free. Therefore, it became Cultural Heritage of the Nation, because the National Institute of Fine Arts considered it as a work of art.
How did it become the great hotel?
Despite the majesty of the Commercial Center and the Tiffany stained glass window, This closed its doors in 1958, staying in disuse for almost ten years. Therefore, the owners of that time, the SABA family, thought of remodel it to make a hotel.
Thus, in 1968 this building was reopened under the name of Gran Hotel in Mexico Cityunder the remodeling made by Howard Johnson. With 120 rooms, it became one of the more luxurious hotels and a social meeting point, Visited by the great Mexican celebrities of the twentieth century such as Cantinflas, María Félix, Pedro Vargas and Agustín Lara.
After years of splendor, the hotel fell again in the nineties, so it was remodeled again between 2003 and 2005, to open with only 60 rooms, a lobby with piano and bar, in addition to cultural events and a terrace overlooking the zócalo, enabled to offer buffets on weekends.
Despite the ups and downs of this building, something that It cannot be denied is the splendor of Tiffany's stained glass which remains one of the bigger attractions Not only from the historic center of Mexico City, but this is recognized internationally.