492. Poznan. Wieza Gornoslaska

Dear Bruno,

The expressionist water tower of Posen was built in 1911
as an exhibition building for the Ostdeutsche Ausstellung,
before being finally used as originally intended. The
monumental form of the tower was seen then as a symbol
of "German" power. The architect, Hans Poelzig, built
among others important structures the huge office building
for the 1931 IG Farben Corporation in Frankfurt.

Best regards.
R

491. Zaragoza. El Rincón de Goya

Querido Pablo,

El Rincón de Goya, edificio mítico construido en 1927,
es la primera obra racionalista española. El edificio, que
contenía una biblioteca con libros sobre Goya y un
pequeño museo, era también un pabellón abierto a un
hermoso jardín.

La mayoría de los periódicos de la época se burlaron de
él. Uno de ellos decia: "No hay motivo de disgusto. El
monumento es realmente interesante. Ocurre solo que se
halla aún sin desembalar"

Un abrazo a ti a toda tu familia.
R

490. 30 St Mary Axe, London

Dear Mark,

The Swiss Re Building aka "The Gherkin" is London's
first environmentally sustainable skyscraper. The 

building consumes up to fifty percent less energy than 

a comparable high profile office tower. It was aerodynamically designed to reduce wind load on the structure. Since it was opened in 2004 the building has become an overnight icon of London.

Best regards.
R

489. The Solomon Guggenheim Museum

Dear Arata,

"The space within becomes the reality of the building."
(Frank Lloyd Wright)

"The Guggenheim", Wright's last major work and one
of the 20th century's most important architectural
landmarks.

Sincerely,
R

488. Belo Horizonte. Praca da Liberdade

Dear Lucio,

"My architecture followed the old examples. The beauty
prevailing over the limitations of the constructive logic"
(Oscar Niemeyer)

Regards.
R

487. Aarhus. Raadhustaarn

Cristina,

Contemplando la impresionante torre
del Ayuntamiento de Aarhus he
recordado lo que decia Pablo
Palazuelo sobre la geometria: La
geometria es lo que esta en el fondo
de la vida y es lo que la construye.

Mil besos.
R

486. The Toronto Dominion Centre

Dear Chuck,

"Architecture is always the
three-dimensional expression out of
a cerebral conclusion"
(Mies van der Rohe)

Best.
R

485. Crown Zellerbach Building. San Francisco

Dear Michael,

The Crown Zellerbach Building was
the first glass skyscraper built in San
Francisco when finished in 1959.
Wonderful floor-to-ceiling green
tinted glass and beautiful details can
be seen all over it.The most striking
features though are the sunken garden
at the ground level plaza, the elegant
glass pavilion lobby and finally the
offset opaque service core facing
Market Street as a wonderful
counterbalance to the glass office
space box.

Thanks for your help.
Best regards.
R

484. New York World's Fair-Ireland (Eire)

Dear Dennis Michael,

The Irish Pavilion for the 1938-9 New York World's Fair
was the first appearance of Ireland as an independent
country at an international trade fair. The Irish Government
wanted the building to have a modern and high quality yet
recognizably Irish character. Architect Michael Scott
produced a shamrock shaped building, built in steel,
concrete and glass.

Best.
R

483. Bus Station from Custom's House Park, Dublin

Dear Mary Alice,

After talking to you about this blog, I realized I had done
a terrible mistake: I still didn't have not even a single
postcard about an Irish modern building. To compensate
my error, today I'm "sending" to you a wonderful
postcard of famous Busáras. The central bus station in
Dublin was built between 1945 and 1953 with a strong
public opposition because of its external appearance,
function and excessive cost. Architect Michael Scott was
also responsible of the design of the wonderful 1939 Irish
Pavilion of the New York World's Fair. He is considered
by many the most important architect of the twentieth
century in Ireland.

Sincerely.
R