2010. Brasilia. Aspecto do Congresso

 

Querida Cristina,

"El día de la investidura, con el Presidente de la República,

los generales con sus uniformes de gala, los diputados 

vestidos de punta en blanco, todos los funcionarios 

estatales y sus damas de alta sociedad con sus mejores

joyas... todo cambió. La magia se hizo añicos de un solo 

golpe." (Oscar Niemeyer)

Feliz año 2022

Besos

R

2009. Guadalajara, España. Residencia Sanitaria del Seguro de Enfermedad.

 

Querida Angeles,

"Las arquitecturas populares mediterráneas datan de varios

siglos antes del cubismo arquitectónico de las modernas

tendencias de 1923" (Fernando García Mercadal)

Agradecido,

R

2008. Helsinki, Finlandia Hall and Bahía de Töölö

 

Dear Ervi,

"Beauty is the harmony of purpose and form"
(Alvar Aalto)

Merry Christmas,

R

2007. Tokyo International Forum

 

Dear Lucy,

"Architecture is more of an exercise in 

translation than authorship."

(Rafael Viñoly)

Gratefully,

R

2006. Villa Le Lac, Corseaux, Switzerland

 

Dear Pierre,

"I boarded the Paris-Milan express several times, or 

the Orient Express. In my pocket was the plan of a 

house. A plan without a site? The plan of a house in 

search of a plot of ground? Yes!" (Le Corbusier)

Regards,

R

2005. Destilería y planta de Bacardi y Cía. en Tultitlan, Mexico

 

Querida Cristina,

Esta es una rara postal antigua que muestra una vista

aérea de la destilería y planta de Bacardí y Compañía 

en Tultitlan, México. 

En el centro del complejo se aprecia bien las 3 bóvedas 

de la planta embotelladora que Felix Candela construyó 

entre 1958 y 1960. (Mas tarde se construirían otras 3)

En la parte más cercana a la carretera y acceso principal

también se ve el Edificio Administrativo que Ludwig

Mies van der Rohe construyó un año después en 1961.

Dos hitos de la arquitectura contemporánea mundial en

una sola postal.

Besos,

R 

2004. Landskrona, Idrottsplats. The Landskrona Sport Hall.

 

Dear Gunnar, 

"A dematerialized architecture, an architecture without 

gravity. The dream of a hovering plane" (Carsten Thau 

& Kjeld Vindum) 

Best regards, 

R

2003. Berlin, Reichstagskuppel

 

Querida Penélope,

"La cuestión en la vida no es saber mucho, 

sino olvidarse de poco" 

(La Odisea, Homero)

Paz,

R

2002. Berlin, Reichstagskuppel

 

Dear Regina,

"Architecture is an expression of values"

(Norman Foster)

R

2001. Berlin, Reichstag

 

Dear Sybi,

"It takes a lot of effort to make a building to look

effortless" (Norman Foster)

R

2000. Sainte-Marie-de-la-Tourette, Eveux

 

Querido Juan Luis:

Tiempo

El tiempo corre lentamente

vuela immerso en la roca densa

esencia inversa de la luz.

El tiempo camina mirándome

como si yo ya no estuviera

como si nunca hubiera sido.

El tiempo se detiene,

último tiempo.

Jamás.

Un fuerte abrazo. 

R

1999. Airport of Copenhagen

 

Querido Walter,

“El camino a la casa de un amigo nunca es demasiado

largo“ (Refrán danés) 

Un abrazo de hermano,

R

1998. The Commons. Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago

 

Dear Rem, 

"Man builds his environment with geometry, from the 

smallest detail to the whole city. Therefore, geometry 

is humankind's malleable language used to emulate 

nature through human intellect" (Teresa Rovira)

Sincerely,

R

1997. Villa Savoye à Poissy

 

Dear Rob,

"Modern life demands a new kind of plan both for the 

city and the house" (Le Corbusier)

Sincerely,

R

1996. Immeuble Molitor, Paris, France

 

Dear Mariela,

"To create architecture is to put in order function

and objects" (Le Corbusier)

Regards,

R

1995. Sevilla. Plaza de España y sede de la Compañía Sevillana de Electricidad

 

Querida Cristina,

En esta vieja postal se puede ver más allá de la estructura

curvilinea de la Plaza de España el edificio monolítico de 

la nueva sede de la Compañía Sevillana de Electricidad 

todavía en construcción. 

Este edificio, hito pionero de la arquitectura

contemporánea en la ciudad, buscó su inspiración en la 

sede proyectada por Mies van der Rohe para la compañía

Bacardí en Tultitlán, México.

Besos,

R

1994. Oslo. View from the Town Hall. The Skansen Restaurant

 

Dear Olof,

The Skansen Restaurant seen in this vintage postcard

was the first functionalist building in Norway. Its elliptical

shape with flat roof and continuous ribbon windows was

inspired by the shape of an airplane gondola. Its popular

terrace has a beautiful view over the Pipervika Bay.

Respectfully,

R 

1993. Fonds Regional D'Art Contemporain, Nord-Pas de Calais, Dunkerque, France

 

Dear Aldo,

"Never demolish, never remove or replace, always add, 

transform, and reuse" (Anne Lacaton)

Sincerely,

R

1992. Kouvola

Querida Cristi,

Te mando esta bonita postal de la ciudad finlandesa de

Kouvola con su moderno ayuntamiento arriba a la 

izquierda. Este elegante edificio fue diseñado y construido 

por el reconocido arquitecto y profesor Juha Leiviska en

1968.

Besos,

R

 

1991. Aarhus Universitet. Aulaen

 

Dear Louis,

"I do not venture to consider myself a pioneer, nor do 

I hope that I might justly be classified as a reactionary 

architect. I shall be pleased to be taken as a representative 

of the high average level of Danish architecture."

(Kay Fisker)

Respectfully,

R

1990. The Peace Bridge. Calgary

 

Dear David,

"I like very much the word passion, because it comes

 from the Latin passio, which means “suffering.” 

(Santiago Calatrava)

Sincerely,

R

1989. The Broad. Los Angeles

 

Dear Frank,

"Dubbed “the veil and the vault,” the museum’s 

design merges the two key programs of the 

building: public exhibition space and the storage 

that will support The Broad Art Foundation’s 

extensive lending activities." (Diller Scofidio)

Sincerely,

R

1988. St. Benedict Chapel Graubünden Switzerland

 

Dear Peter,

"When I start, my first idea for a building is with 

the material. I believe architecture is about that. 

It's not about paper, it's not about forms. It's about 

space and material.” (Peter Zumthor)

Sincerely,

R

1987. Harajuku Protestant Church, Tokyo

 

Dear Tadao,

"The architecture for this Protestant Church is centered 

by a wide nave arranged with six arches and a bell 

tower that symbolically lay importance on the seven 

elements, the seven days of creation, the seven churches 

of the Orient…" (Ciel Rouge)

Sincerely,

R 

1986. Arcade of Irwin Union Bank & Trust Company, Columbus, Indiana

 

Dear John,

"Architects don't take always into account how people find

their way around, or how a building fits into environment, or

how it can make people happy" (Kevin Roche)

Best regards,

R

1985. Tokyo International Forum. Interior

 

Dear Eladio,

"The best architecture redefines how things

are going to be, rather than repeating what

has been accepted, or what is already part of

the norm. (Rafael Viñoly)

Respectfully,

R

1984. Immeuble Molitor, Paris, France

 

Dear Mariela,

"The home should be the treasure chest

of living" (Le Corbusier)

Regards,

R

1983. Maggie´s Centre, Dundee

 

Dear Monica,

"I think it´s an inviting building, I think people will 

want to come inside and spend time there, and I really 

hope that in some small way it might contribute to a 

sense of rejuvenated vigor for moving forward and 

living life" (Frank Gehry) 

Warm regards, 

R

1982. Tokyo International Forum

 

Dear Koji,

"Buildings are forms of performances"

(Rafael Viñoly)

Sincerely,

R

1981. Turun Teatteri. Katsomo.

 

Querida Cristina,

Aquí te mando una postal antigua del interior del
teatro de Turku, obra temprana de Aalto. Fijándome

en la inteligencia del diseño y la elegancia de los detalles

recuerdo la anécdota de cuando alguien le preguntó a

Aalto sobre el módulo de construcción que utilizaba

a lo que el maestro le contestó sin pestañear que 

el milímetro. 

Besos.

R

1980. Sanatorium 'Zonnestraal'

 

Dear Rem,

"Las necesidades del hombre son finitas, solamente

son infinitas las espirituales y estas requerirán cada 

vez más atención" (Jan Duiker)

Respectfully,

R

1979. München. Pinakothek. Trepennhaus

 

Dear Jan H.,

“Hans Döllgast was truly one of the first 

creative preservationists that we had in 

Germany after the war. Today, most people

have forgotten that he belonged to the very 

few by virtue of whose efforts the Leo von 

Klenze’s Alte Pinakothek was not demolished 

and replaced by something ‘contemporary.’ 

With his suggestion, he showed how one could 

close up a hole torn open by bombs without 

replacing everything as if nothing had happened. 

His repair work strove to let the building’s scars 

remain visible

….It is certain that in the future, Döllgast’s 

modesty of built means and his reverence for 

history will again become qualities to strive for

 – namely when our ideology of perfectionism

has run itself into the ground.”

(Paulhans Peters)

Cheers,

R

1978. Bilbao. Isozaki Atea

 

Dear Hans,

"My first experience of architecture was the void of 

architecture, then I began to consider how people 

might rebuild their homes and cities.”

(Arata Isozaki)

Regards,

R

1977. Andorra. Santuari de Meritxell

 

Dear Pablo,

"Monumentality begins with the ritualization of life."

(Ricardo Bofill)

Sincerely,

R

1976. M/S Museet for Søfart. Maritime Museum of Denmark.

 

Dear Sara,

"What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty! 

In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel, 

in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world. The paragon of 

animals. And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me." 

(William Shakespeare, Hamlet) 

Best regards,

R

1975. Cappella Santa Maria degli Angeli. Monte Tamaro

 

Dear Jan,

"The first action of architecture is to put a stone on 

the ground. This action transforms a condition of

nature into a condition of culture. It's an action

tha becomes holy."

(Mario Botta)

Cheers,

R

1974. Kobenhavn Politigaarden. Arkitekt Hack Kampmann

 

Querida Cristina,

El cuartel general de la policía en Copenhague es

normalmente referido como el último gran ejemplo

de arquitectura neoclásica en el norte de Europa.

Su patio circular central de 45 metros de diámetro

está rodeado de 44 grandes columnas de orden 

dórico.

Besos,

R

1973. Chapelle St. Rouin

 

Dear David,

A vintage postcard of the hermitage of Saint-Rouin

in the Argonne forest still in construction.

Dominican father Rayssiguier, a disciple of Le Corbusier,

was the architect of this little gem, a historic monument

since 1998.

Best regards,

R

1972. Kobenhavn. Flyve udsigt over Byen

 

Querida Cristina,

Cuando el cuartel general de la policía en Copenhague

se inauguró en 1924 su estilo neoclásico fue criticado

como anacrónico por aquellos que sentían que el 

estilo que debería imponerse era el Funcionalismo, 

tan en boga en Alemania y otras partes de Europa

en aquellos tiempos.

Besos,

R

1971. Barcelona. Panorámica.

 

Querida Cristina,

En esta interesante postal destacan además de

las conocidas Torres Trade de Coderch y Valls, las

Torres La Caixa de cristal tintado en negro también 

de Coderch en colaboración con Frances Mitjans 

i Miró. Las Trade se terminaron en 1969 mientras

que las Torre La Caixa se inauguraron 14 años 

después en 1983.

Besos,

R 

1970. Breslau. Tauentzienplatz, Wetheim

 

Dear Beata,

The luxurious and very modern Wertheim Department 

Store was opened in 1930 and violently closed by the 

National Socialist seven years later. 

Happily, the building survived the war aftermath and 

after several renovations and extensions it was 

finally re-opened in 2009.

Sincerely,

R

 

1969. Helsinki. The Taivallahti Church

 

Dear Tapio,

"The church hall was excavated using a 

certain system: first a large pit was made 

while leaving a layer of one or two meters 

un-excavated. The last few meters were then 

excavated very carefully while planning at the 

same tie how to accomplish an acoustically 

suitable surface as well as some angles and 

rough spots for the sake of outer 

appearance."(Timo Suomalainen)

Regards,

R

1968. The Netherlands Pavilion at Expo 2000, Hannover

Dear Felix,

"The architecture of the Pavilion suggests

Dutch open-mindedness whilst referencing

stereotypes associated with the Dutch 

landscape: tulips, windmills, and dykes"

(MVRDV)

Sincerely,

R