352. Burroughs Wellcome Co.

Dear Tony,

"What the architect has to offer in the final analysis has
not changed through the centuries. Only the means
change, not the end" (Paul Rudolph)

Regards.
R

351. Phaeno Science Center, Wolfsburg, Germany

Dear Ray & Charles,

Zaha Hadid says of the spaces in the ten "cones" that
support this building that the idea was to occupy structure; structure becomes program. To me this is a smart revision of conceptual ideas from Louis Kahn's Yale Art Center project.

Cheers.
R

350. Lieksan Kirkko

Dear Aimee,

The crossed double arches that span the entire interior
volume and form the dome, seem to owe a debt to
Robert Maillart reinforced concrete structures according
to Malcolm Quantrill.

Merry Christmas to you.
R

349. Petronas Twin Towers. Kuala Lumpur

Dear Sean,

The Petronas Twin Towers were laid out
to symbolize grace and strength by means
of Islamic geometric rules.

Warm regards.
R

348. Tropicana Night Club, Havana, Cuba

Dear Anna,

Max Borges along with Felix Candela created in 1951
the very famous Tropicana's Arcos de Cristal. Many
pieces of furniture displayed were designed by American
designers Charles and Ray Eames. The Arcos de Cristal
was one of only few Cuban buildings included in the 1955
Museum of Modern Art exhibit entitled "Latin American
Architecture since 1945."

Regards.
R

347. Zaragoza. Pabellon puente sobre el rio Ebro

Querido Carlos,

Siempre recordare a Rafael Gonzalez Sandino, con su
mano posada en la frente y sus ojos perdidos en el
infinito recitando a Rilke cuando nos hablaba de
arquitectura y filosofia:
(...) Si nosotros encontráramos también una pura,
contenida, estrecha, humana franja de huerto, nuestra,
entre el río y la roca (...)
(Rainier Maria Rilke “Las Elegías de Duíno” 1922)

Zaha Hadid construyo algo de esa franja, yo creo.

Abrazos.
R

346. Algeciras (Cadiz) Plaza de Abastos

Mama,

"...el aire era alli el unico actor; actor , y al mismo
tiempo artifice sutil, coloreando y modelando
cuanto veias con ese tacto magico, que la realidad
y la pintura nordica desconocen, en el cual la
fuerza no excluye delicadeza ni la gracia severidad"
(Luis Cernuda: El Mercado)

Besos.
R

345. Sao Paulo. Vista Aerea Estadio Cicero Pompeu de Toledo, Morumbi

Cristina,

Artigas se dice pertenecer a una generacion de arquitectos
que luchaban por encontrar soluciones a todos los
problemas que surgian. En ese proceso humanistico
enciclopedico tan arduo Artigas supo ademas hacer poesia
de todo el. Gracias por descubrirme a este gran arquitecto.

Mil besos.
R

344. Charles and Ray in the living room of the Eames House 1975

Dear Tanu,

I was very lucky last week when I had a chance of
visiting The Eames House. As you know, this house
was built in 1949 by husband-and-wife design pioneers
Charles & Ray Eames, to serve as their home and
studio. Since then the house has became a strong
architectural statement while remaining an amazingly
comfortable and functional living space. The interior
including furnitures and all kind of objects remains very
much the same they were in the Eames' lifetimes. Now
the Eames House is the home of the Eames Foundation.

See you on Monday.
R

343. The Garden Grove Community Church

Dear Jan,

The first walk-in/drive-in church built
in the world by Richard Neutra is more
an architectural environment rather than
a typical building. When the massive
windows open, the building becomes a
continuos environment throughout the
parking lot and beyond. Neutra said about
Garden Grove that it is a place where
anyone can sit not only in the sanctuary but
also in his car, familiar and dear to the
American as a second family home.

Hope you are doing well.
R

342. School ala Merelstraat. Hilversum

Dear Christy,

Nassau School in Hilversum, built1928 by W.M. Dudok,
was one of the building that he designed when appointed
as City Architect. Incidentally it is not included on Dudok's
Architectural Route on-line brochure, but I assure you it
deserves a visit.

Cheers.
R

341. Darmstadt. Kunstlerkolonie Portal Ernst-Ludwig-Haus

Dear Vincent,

This is the statement that appears
inscribed on the brow of the House
of Work's portal:
"The artist will show his world,
which never was, nor ever will be"
This is a shorter version of the one
inside the entrance of the Secession
building in Vienna.

Hope you are doing well.
R

340. Hotel Las Salinas. Lanzarote. Islas Canarias

Querida Elsa,

Láminas de agua, ramas de árboles que se rozan con la mano, la Alhambra de Granada, una gran cúpula abierta, jardín interior, oasis... Así es como Fernando imaginó el Hotel en Teguise.

Un abrazo.
R

339. Napoli. Nuovo Palazzo della Poste

Dear Anna,

"L'architettura può esprimere i caratteri più essenziali e
profondi della cultura attuale e formularli in sintesi d'arte?
Se no, il suo interesse decade. Se sì, questo è il suo
massimo compito. Alla luce di queste finalità se ne debbono
ricercare i massimi valori". (Giuseppe Vaccaro)

Cheers
R

338. Park Avenue. New York

Dear Koji,

"I am, in fact, completely opposed
to the idea that a specific building
should have an individual character.
Rather, I believe that it should
express a universal character which
has been determined by the total
problem which architecture must
strive to solve"
(Mies van der Rohe on the
Seagram Building)

Best regards.
R