2362. Riola. Chiesa di Alvar Aalto

 

Dear Mario,

"Architecture must always have charm; it is a crystallized

sense of being at home, in one's region, in one's country,

on the earth. It is a matter of profound harmony."

(Alvar Aalto)

Ciao,

R

2098. Riola (Bologna) Chiesa di Alvar Aalto - Interna

Dear Aldo, 

"Architecture is the result of harmony between several 

intrinsic factors, not least the social." (Alvar Aalto)

Respectfully,

R

2082. Riola (Bologna) Chiesa di Alvar Aalto

 

Dear Elisa,

"I do not want to disturb with my project what God

has always done in this place" (Alvar Aalto on his

church in Riola)

Respectfully,

R

1876. Sáenz de Oíza

Querido Paco:

"La persona en el umbral de su casa está tanto 

dentro como fuera de la misma" 

(F.J. Sáenz de Oíza)

Un abrazo,

R

1847. Riola, Church of Alvar Aalto, Baptistry

Dear Aino,

"The very essence of architecture consists of
a variety and development reminiscent of natural
organic life. This is the only true style in
architecture." (Alvar Aalto)

Respectfully,
R

1833. Madrid. Paseo de la Castellana

Hola Cristi,

En esta interesante vista nocturna de la Castellana
se ve a la derecha el edificio del Banco de Bilbao,
obra cumbre de la arquitectura moderna española
firmada por Saenz de Oiza.

Besos,
R

1757. Cultural Education Center, Albany, N.Y.

Dear Raymond,

"Architecture is the biggest unwritten document of history"
(Daniel Libeskind)

Sincerely,
R

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

1396. Berlin, Potsdamer brucle mit Staatsbibliothek

Querida Cristina,

En ésta hermosa vista aérea de la Kulturfoum de 

Berlín se pueden ver a la izquierda la Neue 

Nationalgalerie (1968) de Mies van der Rohe, 

a la derecha la Staatsbibliothek (1978) de Hans 

Scharoun, y más arriba la Berlin Philharmonic 

(1963) obra también de Scharoun.
El auditorio para música de cámara 

(Kammermusiksaal) que existe hoy junto a la 

Filármonica lo construyó el colaborador de 

Scharoun, Edgar Wisniewski en 1987, después 

de que Scharoun ya hubiese fallecido y 

siguiendo el anteproyecto que éste había 

dibujado años antes.

Muchos besos,
R

1381. Saedden Kirke, Esbjerg. Exterior and interior view.

Dear Jørn,

"Architecture which enters into a symbiosis with light does not merely create form in light, by day and at night, but allow light to become form" (Richard Meier)

Regards,
R

1237. Sainsbury Centre. University of East Anglia

Querido Alberto,

Sine luce Nulla!

Gracias por todo,
R

1221. Sainsbury Centre of Visual Arts

Dear Sam,

"The building is essentially factory produced, 

the work on site being virtually confined to the 

process of assembling pre-fabricated elements. 

This is the mainstream of previous projects and 

is rooted as much in a sense of appropriateness,
time available and the present day reality of quality control" (Norman Foster)

Regards,
R

1187. Teatro Nacional de Guatemala. Centro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias.

Querido Juan Carlos,

"Leo en la palma de mi mano,
Patria, tu dulce geografía.
Sube la línea de mi vida
con trazo igual a tus volcanes
y luego baja como línea
de corazón hasta mis dedos."
(Miguel Angel Asturias-Autoquiromancia)

Un abrazo,
R

1178. Copenhagen. Channel with the National Bank

Dear Kjeld,

The National Bank, an outstanding example of Danish
"cool classicism", is indeed full of elegance, tension,
and aesthetic pleasure.

Sincerely,
R

494. Cimitero Brion a San Vito di Altivole, Treviso

Dear Michael,

"I defend the need for decoration in order to achieve a
life of expression and meaning in architecture and I
oppose the definition of spaces denoted by bare
stereometry and simplistic formalism" (Carlo Scarpa)

Best.
R

462. Edificio Banco de Bilbao, Madrid

Querido Paquillo,

"Siempre he tenido esa especie de
espiritu juvenil, de no aceptar nada.
El joven es el hombre que esta
despierto ante el mundo"
(Francisco Javier Saenz de Oiza)

Un abrazo.
R

243. Longarone (BL) La nuova Chiesa

Dear Tanu,

I enjoyed very much the other day projects review
session. It was really refreshing for me to see so
many great and enthusiastic ideas. Thanks a lot
for letting me to be part of it.
When discussing Thomas' project you mentioned
Giovanni Michelucci's San Giovanni Battista
church on the Autoestrada del Sole. This is, by
the way, one of my favourite buildings, particularly
because of its intriguing and amazing interior space.

Though this church is one of Michelucci's best known
works, he built several buildings as well. Another
church he did in Longarone (Italy) replaced the old
church that was destroyed along the whole town
in the 60s. A landslide forced millions of gallons of
water over the top of the nearby Dam, killing
almost 2000 people. Longarone was hopefully
rebuilt following the tragedy.

Here I am sending you a couple of postcards of this
church that to me resembles somehow to a dam
(maybe because of the all concrete finish). I like to
think that the ultimate reason for the extensive use
of this material was that Michelucci wanted to
change (metaphorically) the structure that brought in
destruction to the locals into a new structure built to
spread out hope and confidence.

Anyway, thanks a lot again for your invitation. Please
call me back any time you might need some extra
help.

Take care.
R

155. Madrid. Paseo de la Castellana

Querida Ines,

"La tirante superficie vitrea que envuelve el medio interno
acondicionado, se provee de una segunda envuelta o
fachada sensible de un sistema fijo de elementos de
parasol metalicos, que determinan en definitiva este
concepto de situacion de umbral o de anillo de
interrogacion dentro-fuera. La mujer en el umbral de su
casa esta tanto dentro como fuera de la misma"
(F.J. Saenz Oiza hablando sobre el Banco de Bilbao)

Besos.
R

118. Berlin, Staatsbibliothek

Dear Jan,

Here's the Staatsbibliothek with its famous stockroom 

also known as "the spine of the book". Jacques Herzog 

said he used to love Scharoun's work. He found it 

ugly, strange, very real and unreal at the same time. 

He loved the aluminum gold clad so they intended 

to clad in gold the skylights of the Photo Studio Frei 

but it was too expensive and problematic.

All the best.
R

52. Chiesa di S.Maria Assunta, Riola-Bologna

Luz,

Esta es la Iglesia de S. María Assunta en Riola. Obra
de Aalto, se consagró en 1978. La Iglesia está situada
justo enfrente al centro histórico del pueblo y se accede
a ella a través de un antiguo puente romano. La planta
sigue las recomendaciones para acomodorla a la nueva
liturgia.

Besos.
R