1714. Bruxelles 1958. Pavillon de la Yougoslavie
















Dear Sam,

This elegant and graceful, almost ethereal Yugoslav Pavilion was highly admired when built in the occasion of the Brussel's Exposition of 1958.  Today it is still standing in a different location: Saint Paulus College at Wevelgem, Belgium.

Best regards,
R

1712. Republic Square, Tbilisi, Georgia
















Dear Zurab,

The monumental concrete arches nicknamed "Andropov's Ears" were built to honor an oficial visit of Yuri Andropov, the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and former chairman of the KGB.
The monument was demolished in 2005 after Georgia's
independence from the Soviet Union occurred in 1991.

Sincerely,
R

1711. Baghdad University. Office Tower.





















Dear George,

"Baghdad is an ideal project.(...) The total design of a
university is a goal achieved" (Walter Gropius)

Regards,
R

1710. L'Ecole la plus moderne de France














Querido Walter,

"No les evitéis a vuestros hijos las dificultades de la 
vida, enseñadles más bien a superarlas" 
(Louis Pasteur)

Un abrazo,
R

1709. MIT's Ray and María Stata Center














Dear Sarah,

"The Stata's appearance is a metaphor for the freedom, daring, and creativity of the research that's supposed 
to occur inside it." (Robert Campbell)

Regards,
R

1708. Hotel Xenia, Poros

























Dear Dimitri,

"You have to become laòs (the people of God) yourself
first before you can show others what is valuable from
your own people" (Aris Konstantinidis)

Sincerely,
R

1707. The Kruševo Makedonium, Macedonia














Querido José,

En 1903 un grupo de macedonios hizo frente al ataque del
Imperio Otomano iniciando un movimiento que desembocaría en la creación de la República de Macedonia. En 1974 se levantó este monumento-edificio que recuerda extrañamente a las válvulas de un corazón, quizá inspirado por los corazones de aquel grupo.

Un abrazo,
R

1706. Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan



























Dear Toyo,

"I just shake the buildings out of my sleeves"
(Frank Lloyd Wright)

Respectfully,
R

1704. Vouksenniskan kirkko














Dear Raili,

"Yet a harp might be constructed
Even of the bones of fishes,
If there were a skillful workman,
Who could from the bones construct it"

(Elias Lönnrot, The Kalevala)
Respectfully,

1703. National Bank of Denmark, Copenhagen





















Queridos Luz, Manolo y Gabriel,

"Los dioses no regalan grandeza. Nada verdaderamente
grande se obtiene gratis" (Soren Kierkegaard)

Besos,
R

1702. Bermeo (Bizkaya) Batzoki













Cristina,

El Batzoki (Sede política del PNV) de Bermeo es un 
edificio que oscila entre el racionalismo y el 
expresionismo dominante en Europa en la época de 
su construcción. Las referencias naúticas en las 
formas redondeadas de la esquina, balcones y 
barandillas son claramente distinguibles.

Besos,
R

1701. Landesschule Klotzsche














Dear Alvaro,

An old postcard depicting the Saxon State School in Dresden. When I looked at this picture beautiful memories of my visit to your Teachers Training College at Setúbal came to my mind. A similar sense of elegance and harmony are shared between these buildings.

Gratefully,
R

1700. Alvar Aalto Museum, Jyväskylä















Querida Cristina,

"En una ciudad había una mujer tan feliz que se la 
expuso en un museo, ahí ella sonreía. Irradiaba una 
felicidad tal que la gente parada en la puerta tuvo que 
usar anteojos de sol, no se permitió la entrada a los 
niños. Cada hora recitó un aforismo sobre el amor, 
la gente llegó y escribió en sus pequeños cuadernos
cuadriculados, también suspiraron felices. Ellos no 
vieron cómo el celador por las noches llevaba a la 
mujer al cuarto de atrás, le abría una tapa en la 
espalda, le recargaba las pilas, cambiaba su falda, le
lavaba el cabello sedoso. La boca de la mujer, más 
profunda que ninguno de los lagos del país de 
canciones tristes, se abría y cerraba, tragaba todo y 
sonreía" (Kati Neuvonen)

Besos,
R

1698. Algeciras, Mercado de Abastos














Mamá

Concepto mondo y lirondo
suele ser cáscara hueca;
puede ser caldera al rojo.

(Antonio Machado, Proverbios y Cantares)

Un millón de besos,
R

1697. Balfron Tower





















Dear Amy,

"The whole object of building high is to free the ground for children and grown-ups to enjoy Mother Earth and not to cover every inch with bricks and mortar." 
(Ernö Goldfinger)

Regards,
R

1696. Centro Botin Centre, Santander














Cristina,

Sáenz de Oíza citando a García Lorca decía que el 
esfuerzo, la técnica y el oficio son las tres premisas 
que requieren el oficio de arquitecto (o de cualquier 
artista). Al visitar este edificio el verano pasado noté 
que los tres estaban presentes.

Besos,
R

1695. Aalto Theater, Essen















Querida Sybi,

"Sin el encanto, lo demás es inútil"
(Jorge Luis Borges, Una, La Divina Comedia; Siete Noches)

Besos,
R

1694. Fondation Louis Vuitton
















Dear Frédéric,

"I see my building as if it were moving through the 
forest, tracing an alley, a fluid liquid element, an entity 
whose unity and direction from whatever side, always 
seems different, not easy to determine whose nature and 
ephemeral quality blend with the clouds, variation of the 
sky and rain being factors constantly changing the 
perception of the building"
(Frank Gehry, talking about Fondation Louis Vuitton)

With gratitude,
R

1693. Atrio del Museo Guggenheim Bilbao





















Mamá, Louis,

"...el mundo entero es un Bilbao más grande"
(Miguel de Unamuno, Rimas de dentro)

Besos muchos muchos,
R

1692. J.K.K. Kirjasto














Querido Roberto,
.
"...,pero biblioteca es pan o pirámide o cualquier otra cosa..."
(Jorge Luis Borges, La Biblioteca de Babel)

Con admiración,
R

1691. Tallinn, Hotel Olümpia





















Dear Indira,

One of Tallinn's most noticeable building, this 26-story
hotel building was built for the 1980 Summer Olympics
sailing competitions occasion. It was renovated in 1997
and most recently in 2017 and renamed Radisson Blu
Hotel Olümpia.

Sincerely,
R

1690. Fagus Werk
















Dear Karl,

"The role of the walls becomes restricted to that of mere screens stretched between the upright columns of the framework to keep out rain, cold and noise." 
(Walter Gropius)

Sincerely,
R

1689. Centro Botín, Santander















Dear Luis,

“I feel truly honored to have taken on this project for the city of Santander because it is yet another example in my repertoire of open, tolerant, and accessible cultural spaces, joining the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Auditorium in Rome, Foundation Beyeler in Basel, the Morgan Library in New York, and the Art Institute of Chicago; all urban spaces loved by the people”
(Renzo Piano)

Regards,
R

1688. Sabaudia. Casa del Balilla
















Dear Florestano,

"Frezzotti's one story Balilla building is perhaps the most
interesting building in Sabaudia, in spite of the later downgrading of his reputation. It is kept in a sober size, but nevertheless monumental in style. Its clean geometrical shapes are articulated in an ochre yellow brick, with travertine details and generous amount of glass"
(Hanne Storm Ofteland,  Sabaudia 1934, Materializing the Fascist Corporate Town, 2002)

Sincerely,
R

1686. Oesterreichisches Haus, Cöln 1914















Dear Lucius,

"Beauty is the result of centuries of care and ordering."
(Josef Hoffmann)

Regards,
R

1685. Bata Store, Reichenberg, Tuchplatz















Querido Walter,

Este elegante edificio de los famosos almacenes de calzado Bata te resultará familiar de tus tiempos en Liberec. El arquitecto, Vladimir Karfík, construyó muchos edificios para esta compañía incluyendo el renombrado Edificio 21 de 16 pisos en la ciudad de Zlín, sede principal de la firma.

Un abrazo,
R

1684. Edificio Siboney, Puerto Chico, Santander















Querido Rafael,

Hermoso edificio expresionista el Siboney con sus fuertes
referencias naúticas como las esquinas redondeadas, las largas tiras horizontales de ventanas, las ventanas en ojo de buey, los colores blanco y celeste, como si fuese un gran transatlántico amarrado en Puerto Chico...

Saludos afectuosos,
R

1683. Hotel Panorama, Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia





















Dear Peter,

The impressive Hotel Panorama was built in 1970 to 
accommodate visitors to the World Ski Championship. 
Since 2008 the building has been remodeled as a 
mixed-use complex including besides the hotel, private 
apartment units, and common areas and facilities.

Regards,
R

1682. Abidjan, Cathedrale Saint Paul.















Dear Patrizia,

The shape of the windows recall the form of a powerful 
elephant. The structure is supported from above. The 
power from Above.

Sincerely,
R

1681. Svenska Dagbladets, Stockholmsutställningen 1930















Dear Gustaf,

The charming Svenska Dagbladet's press office was a small pavilion that worked as a corner as well as a starting point of the neighboring long side flank of the Paradise Restaurant, Asplund's most brilliant building of all he designed for the Stockholm exhibition of 1930.

Best wishes,
R

1680. Rudolf Mosse Pavilion, Pressa Exhibition, Cologne, 1928
















Querido abuelo,

Dijo Frank Gehry que si Erich Mendelsohn hubiera tenido
los ordenadores y la tecnología de hoy en día, él hubiera
tenido que figurarse otra cosa para hacer porque Mendelsohn la hubiera hecho antes que él.
Llevaba años buscando ésta postal. Por fin la encontré.

Besos,
R

1679. Rapla KEK building, Rapla.





















Dear Uno,

This is one of the most recognizable and admired buildings
created by Toomas Rein, the Alvar Aalto from Estonia.

Regards,
R

1678. Maison à Gradins, 13 Rue des Amiraux, Paris





















Dear David,

"Uncaring, I passed for a happy man! Poor creature,
whom misfortune might have rendered a great genius..."
(Henri Sauvage)

A vintage postcard depicting the set-back working-class
houses project in the Rue des Amiraux under construction.

Best,
R


1677. Hotel Xenia, Iraklion, Crete, Greece














Dear Dimitris,

"And here I am, where I have been looking for ways to have standardization for the construction, and also for the functional configuration, thus each architectural work not to be a unintended incident, but to be a work of thought, something that aims for being complete and perfect"
(Aris Konstantinidis)

Regards,
R

PS. This building was totally demolished and therefore is not standing any longer.

1676. The Teachers Training School. University of Jyväskylä.














Dear Tapio,

“Central Finland frequently reminds one of Tuscany, 
the homeland of towns built on hills, which should 
provide an indication of how classically beautiful our 
province could be if built up properly.”
(Alvar Aalto 1925)

Regards,
R

1674. Wiipuri asema














Dear Enzo,

The Vyborg Railway Station was inaugurated in 1913 
and almost destroyed during the Continuation War in 
August 1941. Only ten percent of the building remains 
standing since then. This station was very similar to 
Helsinki railway station that was built six years later.

Sincerely,
R