2242. Stockholm. Stadshuset

 

Dear Sven, 

"...with which one has, as it were, the life of the 

entire city clear to oneself..." (Ragnar Östberg)

Sincerely,

R

2222. Imperial Hotel, Tokyo

 

Querido Antonio,

Te mando una melancólica postal del Hotel Imperial

de Tokyo fechada el mismo año que fue demolido.

El hotel, construido por Frank Lloyd Wright en 1923,

había resistido un grave terremoto poco después de

haber sido inaugurado.

Un abrazo,

R

2182. Office of Walter Gropius. Bauhaus, Weimar

 

Querido Pedro,

“Todo objeto, un recipiente, una silla,

una cosa, está determinado por su razón 

de ser y, para concederle una forma

realmente racional, hay que investigar 

su carácter en profundidad.”

(Walter Gropius)

Saludos,

R

1835. Villas La Roche et Jeanneret.

Dear Sven,

"Light creates ambience and feel of a place, as well 

as the expression of structure" (Le Corbusier)

Sincerely,
R

1726. FIAT Turín - The spiral roadway which leads to the roof track

Dear Marco,

"The spiral is a spiritualized circle. In the spiral form, the circle, uncoiled, has ceased to be vicious;  it has been set free" (Vladimir Nabokov)

Best regards,
R

1706. Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan

Dear Toyo,

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

Respectfully,
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

1547. Stockholm: Stadshuset Borgargarden

Mama,

He encontrado esta postal antigua del ayuntamiento de
Estocolmo. Fue escrita y enviada en 1931, solamente 12
años despues de haber sido inaugurado y 86 años antes
de que nosotros lo visitasemos.

Besos,
R

1373. Imperial Hotel. Tokyo, Japan

Dear Koji,

"The sign of a truly felt architectural work is that in plan it lacks effect." (Adolf Loos)

Warm regards,
R

1193. De Dageraad, Amsterdam

Dear Tom,

At De Dageraad housing section Michel de Klerk developed his ideas of "urban theater" designing some row of dwellings as large farmhouses that worked as theatrical scene paintings at the two squares of the new housing district.

Sincerely,
R

1130. Talmastraat hoek Cooperatiestraat, Amsterdam.

Dear Lodewijk,

In 1920 Michel de Klerk and Piet L. Kramer, two of the leading architects of the Amsterdam School, received the commission to design the De Dageraad (The Dawn) housing district located in the Amsterdam's Oud-Zuid district. The complex was adjusted to the previous Berlage's town planning design and included 294 dwellings and 6 retail spaces. Angular street layout were introduced in this planning design to allow for a visually rich urban landscape. The most impressive features can be found on some street corners, especially at the corner of Takstraat and Burgemeester Tellegenstraat where projecting undulating planes create a fascinating and dynamic effect. The image of this vintage postcard shows the intersection of Talmastraat with Burgemeester Tellegenstraat seen on the right side of the image.

Regards,
R

1096. The Teikoku Hotel, Tokyo

Dear Richard,

"They all listened and they understood, in a way. But finally the chief rose to his feet and said: Mr Wright, (he spoke very good English) you are a very famous architect. You wouldn't come here and try to build us something that would fall down; and while we do not understand the principles  that you have tried to explain to us, we have confidence that you will do something from which we can learn. You may go ahead and build your building and we will watch and we will hope to learn" 

(Frank Lloyd Wright)

Regards,
R

1094. Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan

Dear Kazuyo,

"Space is the breath of art" (Frank Lloyd Wright)

Compliments,
R

947. Champs d'Aviation d'Orly

Dear David,

"...Modern technology lead to a new concept of construction, where each part of the parabolic form of the roof becomes an active vehicle of energy. Here the traditional architectural form of the box has been overcome in favor of a dynamic form of open space and in totally different way... — a new form of dynamic open space had replaced the traditional limitations of
architecture."
( Udo Kultermann. Architecture in the 20th Century)

I hope you'll enjoy this vintage postcard mailed back in 1925

Best.
R  

860. Peacock Alley. Imperial Hotel Tokyo.

Dear Richard,

"Architecture is the scientific art of making structure to express ideas" (Frank Lloyd Wright)

Regards,

R

760. Bartholomeus Ruloffstraat hoek J.M. Coenenstraat. Amsterdam

Dear Michel,

Dutch architect Jan Staal designed and built this successful middle-income housing building full 

of creative rationality, as many times seen in the stimulating architecture of the Amsterdam School.

Sincerely,
R

454. Berlin. Das Rudolph Mosse Haus

Querido Abuelo,

La foto de la postal es el edificio de la Berliner Tageblatt
después de la reforma y ampliación de Mendelsohn y
Neutra del año 1923. Esta a continuación es una cita del
propio Mendelsohn justificando conceptualmente el uso
de lineas horizontales en sus proyectos de aquellos años.

"A new rhythm has seized the world, a new movement.
The man of the Midle Ages, out of the horizontal calm of
his contemplative working-day, needed the vertical
cathedral in order to find his God high above him. The
man of our day, out of the excitement of his rapid life,
can find compensation only in an unrestrained horizontality.
Only by the will to realize facts will be able to master his
unrest; only by the highest degree of speed can he conquer his haste. The rotating earth stands still"

Un beso.
R

180. Stockholm. Stadshuset

Paulina,

En Diciembre estuve en Estocolmo y fui a visitar entre
otras cosas el famoso Ayuntamiento. Es para muchos,
y no solo suecos, el mas hermoso del mundo. Es
posible que lo sea. Se termino de construir en 1923 y
alberga cada Diciembre el banquete para los recientes
galardonados con el premio Nobel. El techo de la Sala
del Consejo esta inspirado en la estructura de un
embarcacion de madera que hubiera sido puesta al reves.
Se sabe que los antiguos jefes vikingos se solian reunir
bajo alguno de sus barcos puesto boca abajo para que
les sirviese mejor de proteccion contra el frio y la lluvia.
Lo se de buena tinta. Me lo dijo un premio nobel que me
encontre por alli y que curiosamente tenia ganas de
charlar.

Cuidate.
R

106. Torino. La pista sopraelevata delle Officine Fiat. Sezione Automobili

Dear Sean,

Finished in 1923, for its time, the Lingotto building was
avante-garde, influential and impressive.
Le Corbusier called it "one of the most impressive sights
in industry", and "a guideline for town planning"

Regards,
R