172. Maubeuge (Nord) L'Eglise


Dear Renzo,

The church of Saint Pierre and Saint Paul
in Maubeuge was finished in 1958 by
architects Andre Lurcat and Henri Laffite
within the framework of the rebuilding of
this french town after the big war. Jean
Lurcat, brother of the architect took part
in the decoration of the church.

Best.
R

171. Pabellon de Japon. Expo 92, Sevilla



Dear Koji,

Tadao Ando designed the Japan Pavilion for the 1992
International Exposition in Seville, Spain. His objective
here was to reinterpret the technology of Japanese wood
architecture by means of contemporary technology.
This building thus embodied tradition and modernity,
technology and culture.

Regards.
R

170. Bundesrepublik Deutschland


Querida Cristi,

En la reconstruccion del mitico Pabellon
de Barcelona el material mas dificil de
obtener fue el famoso "Onix Dore" del
muro central libre.
Se busco primero en Marruecos. Luego
en Argelia se les dijo a los arquitectos que
las canteras que se explotaban en los años
veinte ya no existian. Mas tarde se intento
en Egipto, Israel, Pakistan, Mejico y Brasil.
A la desesperada se volvio a Argelia, y en
un lugar a pocos kilometros de Muskara y
en un frente abandonado de una cantera se
encontro un bloque con la calidad y las
medidas adecuadas. Partiendo de unas
condiciones aparentemente irresolubles, por
problemas de transporte y gestion (habia que
convencer a los que ya no explotaban aquel
yacimiento que cortaran aquel bloque) se
consiguio sin embargo, llevar finalmente el
material en bloque hasta España. El fulgor
deslumbrante de las piezas de colosales
dimensiones en mitad del espacio fue la
manera en que el Pabellon recobro vida
definitivamente.
Una historia casi mitica para un edificio
mitico.

Besos.
R

169. Chicago's Gold Coast


Dear Sabrina,

Came to Chicago and saw this view
from the Lake. To the left 860–880,
to the right 900–910. Of course I mean
Lake Shore Drive, and of course I
mean they were designed by Mies.
Unlike the later 900–910 buildings, the
exterior walls of 860–880 are not true
curtain walls because the windows are
placed within the structural frame
of the building so they do not form a
continuous, separate curtain wall structure.
By contrast, at 900–910 the curtain wall
stands apart from the buildings’ structural
skeleton as a separate continuous element.
Finding the beauty in exposed structural
elements was a hallmark of Mies’
philosophy.

Thanks for your songs.
R

168. Roma. E.U.R. Palazzo dei Congressi


Dear Oscar,

My friend Curzio took me to see the Palazzo dei
Congressi at the EUR. I was surprised with
Libera's ability of giving to this building a singular
style that I could describe as between modernism
and neo-classicism. But I was shocked when I got into
the Salone della Cultura. To get an idea of its impressive
size I can say that this space is a cube measuring 38
meters on each side, a volume which could contain the
entire Pantheon.

Best regards.
R

167. Exposicao Ibirapuera S. Paulo. 4 Centenario, 1954


Mary Kate,

Hoy he estado en el Palacio de la Industria del Conjunto
Ibirapuera en Sao Paulo. Este enorme edificio de mas de
800 pies de largo por 160 de ancho es muy sobrio en el
exterior pero enormemente dinamico en el interior. Estas
rampas entrelazadas me recordaron a una ciudad donde
vivimos: los cruces y las intersecciones de las autopistas
de Los Angeles.
Os echo de menos y os llevo en el corazon a ti y a los
chicos.

Besos
R

166. Breslau, Jahrhunderthalle


Dear Anna,

This reinforced concrete structure was built in Wrocław
in 1913 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of
victory over Napoleon. At the time of construction
it was the largest reinforced concrete structure in
the world. With a large circular central space it seats
6,000 persons. The dome is 23m high and made of
steel and glass. The Jahrhunderthalle became a key
reference for the development of reinforced concrete
structures in the a 20th century.

Best regards.
R

165. Stockholm. Sergel Place with Obelisc



Dear Olof,

Sergels Torg Square in central Stockholm is fantastic!
The Cultural Center by Swedish modernist architect
Peter Celsing was designed like a huge vertical screen
with a glazed elevation facing the Square exposing the
structure of the building from the outside, and interior
details in wood. Through these large glass panes the
long floors exhibit their contents as well. Of course
after a while I went inside to take a better look.

Best regards.
R

164. Fondation Maeght-Saint-Paul, France


Querida Luz,

Hoy he visitado el Museo de Sert para la Fundación 
Maeght en el pueblecito de Saint Paul de Vence. 
La considerable extensión del conjunto es resuelta 
por Sert haciendo uso de la iconografía de pueblo 
Mediterráneo. De ese modo articula sabiamente 
espacios abiertos con naturaleza y arquitectura. 
En la foto, desde el patio Giacometti domina 
"La Mairie" (Ayuntamiento) del "poblado". 
Algunos de los ilustres "fundadores" de este pueblo 
imaginado son Braque, Miró, Chagall, Giacometti, 
Chillida o Palazuelo.

Besos.
R

163. Wien, Haas-Haus am Stephanplatz


Dear Johann,

"The shape of the building doesn't
develop out of the material condition
of its purpose. A building shall not
show its purpose. It is not an
expression of structure and
construction, it is not an enclosure or
refuge. A building is itself. Architecture
is without purpose. What we build will
find its usefulness."
(Hans Hollein 1963)

The Haas House in Vienna, in whose
facade one can see the mirror image of
St. Stephen's Cathedral, was designed
by architect Hans Hollein in 1989. The
building follows the line of ancient fortified
walls around the Roman camp on which
the building stands.

Regards.
R

161. Price Tower. Bartlesville, Oklahoma


Dear Laurita,

This is the building that inspired Saenz
de Oiza to design his "Torres Blancas".
Frank Lloyd Wright's Price Tower was
his pioneering experiment in the multi-use
skyscraper: a structure whose purpose
was to combine business offices, retail
and apartments. Wright nicknamed the
Price Tower, which was built on the
Oklahoma prairie, "the tree that escaped
the crowded forest." It is the only realized
skyscraper by Wright.

Warm regards.
R

160. Madrid. Avenida de America



Querida Laurita,

Esta postal originalmente escrita por una americana
viviendo en España te la manda ahora un español
viviendo en America. La torre del fondo es el famoso
edificio Torres Blancas, obra cumbre del organicismo
español y uno de los mejores edificios construidos en
Madrid. Curiosamente el proyecto para este edificio
español se inspiro en otro americano: the Price Tower
en Oklahoma obra de Frank Lloyd Wright.

Espero que estes muy bien.
R

159. Fundacio Publica del Pavello Alemany de Barcelona de Mies van der Rohe


Dear Enric,

"Such is the German Pavilion: the architecture of reflections. walls, paving stones and roofs form a prodigious blending of rays of lights which 
criss-cross freely."(Marsa, Marsillach)
"The greatness of this art cannot be expressed 
materially. Rather, it acts in ways which affect us 
even more profoundly" (Peter Behrens)

Best.
R

158. Jardines de Pedregal. Mexico D.F.




Dear Kathy,

In the mid 1940's mexican architect Luis Barragan began
to design El Pedregal. The idea of developing this
residential neighborhood was to promote the harmony
between architecture and landscape. The first structures
built on the site were the Plaza of the Fountains, and a few
typical gardens and houses by Barragán and Max Cetto.

R

157. Amsterdam, Olympisch Stadion



Dear Hans,

The Olympisch Stadion designed by architect Jan Wils
is one of the finest examples of theAmsterdam School
architecture. It was built as the main stadium for the
1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. The Olympic
flame was burned for the first time ever in a tall tower.
Nonetheless, the top bowl is known for local people
as the KLM pilots ashtray.

Regards.
R

156. Firenze. Chiesa di S. Giovanni


Dear Enric,

The Chiesa di San Giovanni or dell'Autostrada del Sole
was built between 1960 and 1963, based on plans by
Giovanni Michelucci. The floorplan follows sinuous curves
creating a feeling of fluid space just like on many of your
drawings. I always saw a strong connection between
Michelucci and Miralles architectures.

Best regards.
R

155. Madrid. Paseo de la Castellana


Querida Ines,

"La tirante superficie vitrea que envuelve el medio interno
acondicionado, se provee de una segunda envuelta o
fachada sensible de un sistema fijo de elementos de
parasol metalicos, que determinan en definitiva este
concepto de situacion de umbral o de anillo de
interrogacion dentro-fuera. La mujer en el umbral de su
casa esta tanto dentro como fuera de la misma"
(F.J. Saenz Oiza hablando sobre el Banco de Bilbao)

Besos.
R

154. Como. Vista da Brunate



Querida Cristi,

La Casa del Fascio de Terragni, vista aqui en el
centro del borde inferior de la foto, es un edificio
concebido como un cubo ideal y aislado. De esa forma
Terragni, que tenia solo 32 años cuando acabo esta su
obra maestra, propone la creacion de una plaza civica
paralela a la del poder religioso presidida por el Duomo.
Ambos edificios no comparten un eje longitudinal comun,
pero se sabe que Terragni quiso construir un segundo
bloque de igual tamaño para posibilitar la simetria de
eje con la catedral.

Mil besos.
R

153. Bremen-Rathaus, Dom und haus der Burgerschaft



Dear Hans,

The "House of Glass" as the Deputies' Assembly Hall
of Bremen is sometimes called, by virtue of its exterior,
is a building designed and built by Wassili Luckhardt in
1959.
The facade reflects the old buildings in the mirror-like
surface of the glass sheathing as a means for converging
and linking the building with the older edifices
surrounding the historic market square.

Best regards.
R

152. Bogota Colombia. Aerofotografia del Centro Internacional


Dear Alvar

One of Rogelio Salmona's key works
is theTorres del Parque housing complex
in Bogota, which has elements in common
with Aalto's towers in Bremen and
Lucerne.
"Good architecture will become ruins.
Bad architecture disappears. I hope the
[Parque] Towers not to be ruins today
but one thousand years from now"
(Rogelio Salmona)

All the best.
R

150. Mallorca, Palma. Hotel de Mar, Illetas






Dear Tom,

The Coderch's Hotel de Mar in Mallorca was 
positioned so as to open frontally on the sea. The 
bedrooms open onto the terraces by way of a 
partition which is stepped in plan. This way and 
with the in between beautiful vertical wooden 
shutters (for shelter from the sun as well), privacy
and seclusion between the rooms are achieved.

Regards.
R

149. Solvesborg Ungersgatan


Querida Aino,

Hoy ha sido un día magnífico. Mi amigo Erkki me ha
llevado de excursión al campo donde nos hemos quedado
extasiados contemplando uno de los bosques de hayas
mas grandes de Europa.
Luego hemos ido en tren hasta Solvesborg. Al salir de la
estación, hemos caminado en linea recta con la vista puesta en el edificio al final del camino: Los Juzgados del Condado de Lister. Erkki me ha explicado que es obra del famoso arquitecto sueco Erik Gunnar Asplund que lo construyó en 1921. Por supuesto hemos entrado a visitarlo. Solemne y acogedor al mismo tiempo, me ha sorprendido por sus detalles ingenuos llenos de buen humor y delicadeza. Erkki me ha dicho que le gusta imaginar la inmensa forma cilíndrica en la parte
trasera del edificio como el resultado final del impacto de una masa ideal en movimiento que hubiera hecho el mismo recorrido que nosotros desde la estación de trenes. Erkki es buen fines, lleno de imaginación poética.

Un saludo afectuoso.
R

PS.
Como respuesta a tu comentario te diré que la idea de la masa ideal en movimiento que da pie a la formación del cilindro trasero es discutida por algunos estudiosos como algo que es posible que en realidad Asplund imaginara, pero no hay constatación explícita de ello. Por otro lado la Biblioteca de Estocolmo que también posee un gran cilindro interior que responde a otra idea distinta como es la de un universo central del conocimiento, estuvo algunos años sin la cuarta fachada que cierra el cuadrilatero dejando expuesto el cilindro completo al exterior. Tal como en Lister. El 29 de Octubre de 2012
enviaré una postal en este blog con esa imagen para que la veas.

Un saludo y gracias por tu pregunta.
R

148. Ljubljana



Enrique,

Alli, al fondo, la Biblioteca de la Universidad de
Ljubljana, arquitectura semperiana de suelo-muro-techo
de génesis textil.
El arquitecto? el referido por Le Corbusier como
"el famoso dibujante de mano temblorosa": Jože Plečnik

Abrazos.
R

147. Josep Maria Jujol, Torre de la Creu 1913-1916


Querido Juan,

La Torre de la Creu en Sant Joan Despí,
Barcelona es un proyecto de Josep Maria
Jujol que se termino de construir en 1916.
Las dos escaleras que posse son elementos
que taladran los volumenes cilindricos de
los que esta compuesto el edificio.
Este construccion deslumbrante ha llegado a
ser comparada en su analisis con la Casa de
Melnikov en Moscu por el tema comun de
interseccion de cilindros.

Abrazos.
R

146. Beograd XVII Zemun rue Roi Pierre


Dear Scott,

The Yugoslavian Air Force Headquarters in Zemun,
built by Dragisa Brasovan in 1935 is one one the most
significant examples of Expressionism in Serbian modern
architecture. Regrettably it was damaged by Nato bombs
in 1999.

Best regards,
R

145. Prague. The Dancing House


Dear Pier,

This well-known building was originally named
Fred and Ginger (after the famous pair of dancers),
though for some people it is difficult to understand this
metaphoric image. Others, however, have nicknamed
it "Drunk House".
That's easier!

Cheers.
R

144. Munich Allianz-Arena


Dear Julia,

In this new football stadium in Munich the different stairs
follow the line of greatest slope of the outer shell
underscoring the procession-like approach of visitors to
the building. Here's a view of the stadium under
construction where you can see the shadows of those
stairs.

Best.
R

143. Vitoria, Iglesia de Ntra. Sra. de los Angeles


Querida Olga,

La solución a un solar triangular muy complicado
fue absolutamente brillante por parte de estos dos
grandes arquitectos. La calidad "flotante" de las
paredes y la cubierta, con su aparentemente
complicada pero en el fondo sencilla solución, es
admirable.

Besos
R

142. Malmo Stadsteatern


Dear Aino,

Sigurd Lewerentz and his colleagues Erik Lallerstedt
and David Helldén built in 1944 what is considered
to be of one of the masterpieces of Swedish
Functionalist architecture: The Malmo Opera House.

All the best.
R

141. City Hall Toronto, Ontario, Canada


Dear Silke,

One of the most distinctive landmarks of Toronto,
The new City Hall was designed by Finnish architect
Viljo Revell along with his collaborators and finished
in 1965. The overall arrangement is somewhat like
two hands cradling the council chamber which stands
between the two towers.

Best Regards.
R

140. Copenhagen. Gammeltorv and our Lady's Church


Dear Pier,

Designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1938,
the "Stelling Hus" is located in the
northern side of the old Gammeltorv
square. The building situated in an
old part of the town was, at the time,
criticized for its irreverent modernism.
Today, however, it is possible to
appreciate how well the building
measures up to the scale of the old
built neighbors, and how much even
its building material is in keeping with
the congenial atmosphere of the
district.

Regards.
R

139. Mercado de Santa Caterina, Barcelona


Domenec,

"The city appears at once brutal and romantic.
Stuffy and cramped yet filled with memories.
The market had to be remodeled in order to bring
back to live its neighborhood. Conducting the traffic
flow from Via Layetana towards the interior of this
area was also essential. Nevertheless, the work was
almost uniquely about designing a roof that would
be able to do all that." (B.Tagliabue)

Best.
R

138. Amsterdam, Reguliersbreestraat


Dear Felix,

The Amsterdam Cineac movie theatre was located
directly opposite the famed Tuschinski Theatre on
the narrow Reguliersbreestraat. It symbolized modern
rationality versus old-fashioned romanticism.
It opened on 18th October 1934 and the architect
Jan Duiker managed to create on an awkward
site an ingenious auditorium in which the
projection room was tucked away, under the balcony.
To open up the mystique of the operation of the
cinema, the operations within the projection room
(located over the front entrance) could be seen from
the street as it had glass walls on two sides.

All the best.
R

137. Uruguay-Balneario Atlantida, Planeta Palace Hotel


Querido Juan,

Este maravilloso edificio, el Planeta Palace Hotel, fue
construido por el empresario italiano afincado en
Buenos Aires, Natalio Michelizzi en 1939. La forma de
barco responde al nombre mítico de Atlántida y al maravilloso paisaje de playas y naturaleza que le rodean.
Se que esto es pura especulación pero desde el principio
me sorprendió su parecido con el famoso Isokon Building
en Hampstead (Londres) diseñado por Wells Coates en
1934 como ejemplo de vivienda colectiva experimental y
muy elogiado incluso por Le Corbusier.

Abrazos.
R

136. Sevilla. Puente del Alamillo



Gracias Rafa, por venir a Sevilla conmigo.
Por cruzar el charco a mi lado coloreando tus libros
de hombre araña, viendo Wall-E conmigo, y
preguntandome si "ya hemos llegao" cada 5 minutos.
Todo, lleno de alegria e inocencia, haciendome ver
las cosas que conocia de toda mi vida de otra manera,
con tus maravillosos ojos de niño curioso.
Aqui te mando un puente que es tambien un caballo
gigante.

Te quiero mucho.
Papa

135. Nordens Hus


Dear Stefano,

This building is a small Congress Hall built by
all the Nordic Countries in Reykjavik. It was finished
in 1968 and designed by Alvar Aalto, naturally!

Regards
R

134. Stockholm. Katarinahissen


Dear Sean,

This lift was built in 1935 as part of another building,
the Kooperativa Forbundet or simply KF, and
together they form a classic example of early Swedish
Functionalism or colloquially in Sweden and Norway
"Funkis". In a glass gangway at the top of the lift there
is a restaurant which offers guests a wonderful view of
the city along with their meals.

Best.
R

133. London Millennium Dome


Dear Anna,

This tensile structure is the largest of its type in the
world. The canopy is made of a durable and
weather-resistant plastic, and is 50 m high in the middle.
During the political controversy surrounding the dome
back in the 90's, Wonderbra ran an advertising campaign
with the slogan 'Not all domes lack public support'.

Cheers.
R