111. Stockholmsutstallningen 1930 Huvudentren

Querido Manolo,

Este, como sabrás bien, es el edificio de entrada a la
Exposición de Estocolmo de 1930. Como todos los
demás edificios del conjunto este fue proyectado por
Gunnar Asplund, y llama la atención además de su
lenguaje funcional y a la vez amable, el espíritu festivo
tan acorde con el evento.

Un abrazo.
R

110. Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania

Dear Enric,

This building, a residence for 150 students, was designed
by Louis Kahn and built in 1965. The ground floor plan,
a succession of 3 squares connected at their corners, is
developed around 3 interior courtyards. The "serving"
spaces are located in the walls of these courtyards.

Regards.
R

109. Como. Panorama con Brunate

Querida Cristi,

Esta postal me parece fascinante. Si te fijas bien se
ven en ella hasta tres edificios de Terragni:
Abajo en el centro la casa Giuliani-Frigerio, ultima
obra del arquitecto, manierismo racionalista de
altisima calidad; en el centro hacia la derecha y solo
el alzado corto, el Novocomum, gesto revolucionario
de Terragni cuando tan solo tenia 23 años (fijate en el
edificio para el club de obreros de Ilya Golosov) y
por ultimo algo mas a la izquierda y cerca del lago el
monumento a los caidos de 1933, obra inspirada en los
dibujos del influyente futurista Sant'Elia.

Mil besos.
R

108. Roma. Palazzo della Civilta-Piazzale Marconi. Piscina delle Rose-Palazzo dei Congressi.

Querido Juan Luis,

Gracias por tu Post. La Casa Malaparte es una de las
postales que mas he buscado sin poder encontrar
hasta el momento. Tengo que decirte que
aunque casi universalmente atribuida a Adalberto
Libera (los planos, que no se parecen a lo construido,
estan firmados por el) la casa es mucho mas obra del
cliente, Curzio Malaparte, que del arquitecto Libera.
Este, estaba muy ocupado por aquel entonces
proyectando el Palacio de Congresos de Roma
(en la postal). Ademas su relacion con Malaparte,
personaje singular, no era la mejor, asi que lo dejo
hacer...
El resultado, la casa mas hermosa construida en el
siglo XX para muchos (me incluyo). La pelicula de BB
la he visto (y la tengo en mi pequeña coleccion), pero
si estas interesado en la Malaparte hay dos libros sobre
la casa:
"Casa Malaparte" (Marida Talamona)
Princeton Architectural Press, 1992
y "Malaparte. A House like me" (Michael McDonough)
Potter 1999.

Un abrazo.
R

107. Milano dall'aereo. La Torre Velasca

Dear Pierre,

The Torre Velasca in Milan, built by
BBPR in 1954, is a modern reinterpretation
of an italian medieval castle and an
undisputable landmark building on this city.

Regards.
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

105. The Philadelphia Saving Fund Society Building

Querido Manolo,

En una de tus inolvidables clases
nos hablaste de este edificio, el
primer rascacielos "moderno"del
mundo construido en 1932 en
Philadelphia. Nos contaste que sus
arquitectos, Lescaze y Howe
organizaron el edificio en distintas
areas en funcion de sus usos
diferenciandolas entre ellas por el
empleo de materiales distintos.
Las primeras plantas, que forman
un gran podium albergaban tiendas
y estan acabadas con granito pulido
de color grisaceo. Sobre esta gran
base, se alza el edificio de oficinas
de 30 plantas en forma de T y esta
acabado en piedra caliza de color
terroso. La parte trasera, que es el
nucleo de servicios esta acabada
con ladrillos vidriados y no vidriados
alternativamente de color negro.

Un abrazo.
R

104. Le viaduc de Millau

Querido Paquillo,

El viaducto de Millau, en Francia, obra del ingeniero
Michel Virlogeux y del arquitecto Norman Foster es
el viaducto construido para trafico rodado mas elevado
del mundo con sus 343 metros. Dos de sus siete pilones
son los mas altos del mundo en este tipo de estructura
con casi 245 y 221 metros respectivamente.
Solo el Royal Gorge Bridge en Colorado, el mas elevado
del mundo, esta considerado mas alto que este.
Te puedo decir sin embargo que de seguro bastante
menos elegante tambien.

Un abrazo.
R

103. Teologado de Dominicos San Pedro Martir, Madrid

Dear Sverre,

The main theme, that is of light and
color in this church is key for a better
understanding of this unique space.
The architect, Miguel Fisac, decided
to use uncolored glass in the altar, red
colored glass for the choir area and
blue stained glass for the rest of the
space. The church with the rest of the
large theological complex was finished
in 1955.

Warm regards.
R

102. Lissone. Piazza Liberta

Dear Carol,

The Casa del Fascio de Lissone, designed by Giuseppe
Terragni, shows with the presence of the massive tower
an evident transition of the official italian architecture
toward the dominant fascist German classicism of the
time.

Cheers.
R

101. Rotterdam. Torenflat Bergpolder

Dear Enric,

This is the very first working-class
high apartment building built as
conceived by Gropius: the Bergpolder.
The main structure is of steel, while the
horizontal partitions and door and
window frames are of wood.
This is also the first time a lift is installed
in an apartment building for workers.

Best regards.
R

100. J. van Nelle, Rotterdam

Dear Joel,

The Van Nelle Factory plans were exhibited at the
Stuttgart exhibition of 1927. As Benevolo states,
the various functions of the productive process were
rigorously analyzed and faithfully expressed in the
articulation of the building, including the pipes carrying
the product to warehouses along the canal, which were
openly set into the glass facade.

Thanks for meeting with me yesterday.
R

99. Scale Model Kunsthal. Rotterdam

Querido Manolo,

"En el Kunsthal las columnas inclinadas desafian las
lineas de atraccion gravitatoria para alinearse con la
topografia generada en el proyecto, en una radical
declaracion de libertad e independencia de los
ordenes naturales" (Alejandro Zaera)

Un abrazo.
R

98. Elephant House. Whipsnade Park

Dear Louis,

"The aim of the the zoo work was to present a vision
of nature tamed not with a fist but with a smile"
(Berthold Lubetkin)

Best.
R

97. Moscow. The Rusakov House of Culture. 1929. Konstantin Melnikov, architect

Dear Enric,

This magnificent building is a culture
center for workers that houses a a total
of three auditoriums with a total capacity
of 1400. The reinforced-concrete
construction was designed based on
geometry volumes with sharp angles and
diagonal lines that somehow resemble a
gigantic mechanical gear.

All the best.
R

96. Pavilhao de Portugal, Expo 98

Cristina,

Este es el Pabellon de Portugal de la Expo 98 que
como sabras proyecto Siza con la colaboracion del
ingeniero Cecil Balmond de Ove Arup. La losa, de 20
centimetros de espesor contiene tubos a traves de los
cuales pasan los tensores. Siza penso en proyectos como
los de Asplund para laExposicionde Estocolmo de 1930,
en los grandes espacios cubiertos con losas de Niemeyer
y en la plaza semi cubierta de Villanueva de la Universidad
de Caracas cuando lo estaba proyectando.

Besos.
R

95. Hembrugstraat, Amsterdam

Dear Sybille,

This residential complex, nicknamed "the ship" because
of its shape, was built in Amsterdam by Michel de
Klerk in 1921. Its tower was meant to be topped by a
cock, the symbol of the Dutch Social Democratic party.

Cheers.
R

94. Scottish Parliament

Dear Charles,

"From our recollections of Scotland we find these images
(a row of Scottish boats laying on the ground upside down)
that stick in our minds...The boats offered by the land.
We like these boats not only in their construction, but also
in their delicate presence in a place. Something about their
form floating in the landscape should be part of our project."
(Enric Miralles)

Best regards.
R

93. Ciudad Universitaria Hospital Clinico Caracas Venezuela

Carlos,

I read that in this University Hospital the corridors linking
the different wings are protected with screens to diffuse
the dazzling light and ensure natural ventilation, letting
the air flow through the perforated blocks to control the
high tropical temperatures. Though this building was
finished in 1954 it seems to me very up to date considering
all the new "green" architectural method we need to deal
with nowadays.
In any case I also admire very much the fantastic display
of bright colors so uncommon in a Hospital.

Thanks.
R

92. Barcelona 1929 Pavillon de Yugoslavie

Dear Jan,

Dragiša Brašovan was the architect who designed
the Yugoslavian Pavilion for the Barcelona International
Exhibition of 1929. It was an attempt to define a new
style for the new nation that expressed its modernity
while remaining faithful to local tradition. Its defining
formal element was the unusual cladding, alternating
horizontal stripes of grey and white stained Serbian
wood prepared by builders in Belgrade and shipped to
the site. Though the most recognizable and memorable
building of the exhibition was the Mies van der Rohe's
German Pavilion, this unknown building was a very
decent attempt of modern architecture for this event.

Cheers.
R

91. Hilversum-Raadhuis

Dear Enric,

W.M.Dudok reinterpreted in this building the playful and
efective intersection of built volumes so typical in the
architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. The alternative use
of horizontal and vertical lines and narrow and broad
spaces gives the complex a strong design concept that
makes the Town Hall a real urban icon. The vertical line
of the tower works as a visual pivot counterbalanced by
the others horizontal architectural elements.

Best regards.
R

90. Bauhausneubau dessau 1925-26

Querido Alfonso,

Es quiza una de esas pequeñas ironias de la vida que
usted, el maestro mayor de la Catedral de Sevilla,
fuese la primera persona a la que oi hablar
apasionadamente de la Bauhaus. He leido de este
edificio, que posee un equilibrio dinamico. Luego he
pensado que es el contrapunto perfecto al majestuoso
estaticismo de la "Montaña Hueca".

Un saludo muy afectuoso.
R

89. Matosinhos, Courts de Tenis no Parque Municipal

Cristina,

Este proyecto de Fernando Tavora sito en Quinta da
Conceisao en Matosinhos, junto a la Casa de Ferias de
Ofir, dieron pie al debate en torno a la arquitectura
popular en Portugal como marco valido de una posible
relectura de los valores de la modernidad junto con
los de la tradicion. Una de las ideas latentes en la
entonces emergente Escuela de Oporto.
Nos veremos en Noviembre. Quiza podamos visitarlo.

Besos.
R

88. Guggenheim Bilbao

Dear Alvaro,

This is the building that started out the well-known
"Bilbao effect". The powerful influence great public architecture can exert. After this building many eye-catching buildings by famous architect have been built worldwide.

Best Regards.
R

87. Pavillon de l'URSS (K.Melnikoff, Arch)

Dear Enric,

This is the back side of the Pavilion.
Above, the roof-like red colored awnings
of the stairs soared like wings. Down, the
staircase crosses the building diagonally
allowing views on to the exhibits on either
side.

Take care.
R

86. Paris Exposition des Arts Decoratifs Pavillon de URSS

Dear Enric,

Konstantin Melnikov's Soviet Union
Pavilion for the 1925 Exposition des
Arts Decoratifs in Paris was a masterly
propaganda instrument: a celebration of
the factory aesthetic. As I know you'll
love this image I will be sending you
soon another postcard that shows the
back side of the pavilion.

Best.
R

85. Judisches Museum und Berlin-Museum

Querido Doctor Pasavento,

Su amigo, el arquitecto Daniel Libeskind, que según 
usted leía sus poemas de hospital ( de versos escritos
entre monjas y luces de algodón) y después los
comparaba con edificios que el había soñado, llego a
construir después (o fue antes?) este edificio, que para mi tiene mucho de melancolía y psiquiatría.

Atentamente.
R

84. Experience Music Project. Aerial View

Dear Jan,

Frank Gehry said about this project that he wanted to
evoke the rock'n'roll experience without being too literal
about it.
How can you possibly be literal in that regard?
But in any case I think in this case he was literal about
himself.

Regards.
R

83. Edificio Kavanagh, Buenos Aires

Querido Ricardo,

El Edificio Kavanagh es como sabras
uno de los hitos urbanos mas relevantes
de Buenos Aires. Edificio levantado en
1935, fue el mas alto de Sudamerica con
sus 110 metros de altura. Influido por los
rascacielos de Chicago, incorpora sin
embargo unos planteamientos
innovadores en sus elementos
compositivos de inspiracion racionalista.

Un fuerte abrazo.
R

82. Copenhagen. Royal Hotel and The Liberty Column

Dear Louna,

Couldn't avoid remembering the SOM's Lever House of
New York. Nonetheless the traditional danish workmanship
is patent here compare with the American standardization.
Everything within the building was designed by Jacobsen
himself: furniture, light fixtures, carpets, curtains...
Somebody called the building the glass cigarbox, yeah but
designed by Jacobsen

Cheers
R

81. Vista da fachada de Agencia Bancaria em Vila do Conde

Querido Jose,

Te mando una de las postales mas bonitas que tengo:
el Banco Borges & Irmao en Vila do Conde, Portugal.
Terminado en su primera fase en 1982, Alvaro Siza 

ganó el premio MvdR a la mejor obra construida en la
Comunidad Europea ese año por esta obra. Las formas,
los materiales, las articulaciones espaciales son 

puramente "Siza" como veras.

Abrazos a Paula y a los niños.
R

80. Grand Hotel Gooiland. Hilversum

Dear Bob,

The Grand Hotel Gooiland, finished in 1936, is the last
testament as far as built-work is concerned of Jan
Duiker. The "joie de vivre" of this building has rarely
been surpassed in the best European architecture of
the 20th century according to Kenneth Frampton.

Regards,
R

79. Berlin, Neues Hansaviertel, Aalto Haus

Dear Anna,

"Architecture has an ulterior motive which always lurks,
so to speak, around the corner: the thought of creating 

a paradise. It is the only purpose of our houses If we did 

not always carry this thought around with us all our houses would become simpler and more trivial and life...would it be at all worth living? Each house, each product of architecture that is worthwhile as a symbol 

is an endeavor to show that we want to build an earthly paradise for people" (Alvar Aalto)
I couldn't have put it better myself.

Cheers.
R

78. Buenos Aires-Avenida Corrientes

Querido Ricardo,

El Cine Teatro Gran Rex, inaugurado
en 1937 en Buenos Aires y obra del
arquitecto Alberto Prebisch es uno de
los hitos mas importantes de la
Arquitectura Moderna en la Argentina.
La sala esta inspirada en el Radio City
Hall de Nueva York y es una de los
espacios de mayor rigor espacial de la
epoca y por ende del patrimonio
construido de la capital argentina.

Un fuerte abrazo.
R

77. Sea lions at Dudley Zoo

Dear Enric,

Berthold Lubetkin once said: “I have the unfashionable
conviction that the proper concern of architecture is
more than self-display. It is a thesis, a declaration,
a statement of the social aims of the age.”

Warm regards.
R

76. Golden Gate Bridge from Marin County

Dear Pierre,

Sixty years earlier than the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam,
the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge was finished in
1937 and painted in orange vermilion.
Both bridges seems to follow the evolution of species as
far as structural design is concern. On the other hand,
orange is the national color of the Netherlands.
A sort of prefiguration, isn't it?

Best
R

75. Rotterdam, prov. Zuid Holland

Dear Pierre,

The Erasmus bridge, the new symbol for Rotterdam and
most visible icon. Locals call it the Harp. It reminds me
another big "harp" that crosses over the river of Seville
though somehow less gratefully.

All the best.
R

74. Miraflores de la Sierra-Residencia Fuente de la Teja

Querida Olga,

Este edificio construido en 1958 está cerca de 

Madrid. Sus arquitectos Corrales, Molezun y de 

la Sota lo pensaron como dividido en dos partes: 

la infraestructura compuesta por el acceso, puente, aparcamiento, cimientos y solera de piso; y la 

cubierta y sus soportes que se "posan" sobre la 

fuerte pendiente del terreno.

Espero que tu y tu familia esteis bien.
Besos.
R

73. de Young Museum, San Francisco

Dear Jan,

It was nice we could visit together the new de Young.
As we saw the entire building exterior is clad in copper,
which eventually will oxidize and take on a greenish tone
to mimic the surrounding trees hues. Swiss poetry!

Hope you are having a pleasant summer.
R

72. Beijing National Stadium

Dear Juan Luis,

A few days ago I read in the NYT about the new
Beijing Olympic National Stadium :
"Viewed from a distance, the contrast between its
bent steel columns and its bulging elliptical form gives
the stadium a surreal, moody appearance, as if it were
straining to contain the forces that are pushing and
pulling it this way and that. Philosophically, it suggests
the tensions just beneath the surface of a society in
constant turmoil."
Indeed China is a nation that is struggling to forge itself
a new identity, and this fantastic building designed by
Herzog & de Meuron will help to push in the right
direction.

Best.
R

71. Savoye House, Poissy-sur-Seine, France

Dear Chaitanya,

The Villa Savoye is one of the most influential private
residence built in the twenty century. Beside the famous
five points: pilotis, free plan, roof terace, horizontal
windows and free facade. I particularly enjoyed the
polychromatic interior in strong contrast with the
predominant white exterior.

Hope you are doing well.
R

70. Bellevue Art Museum-Aerial View

Dear Joel,

Cheers from Seattle! Spent some time visiting Steven
Holl's Bellevue Museum. Good architecture and good
weather. What else can I ask for?

Best wishes.
R

69. Aarhus Raadhuset

Querido Juanlu,

He visitado el Ayuntamiento de Aarhus en Dinamarca.
Este edificio, inaugurado en 1942 y obra de Arne
Jacobsen, es absolutamente exquisito en todos sus
detalles. Es sabido que el arquitecto tuvo muy presente
el proyecto de Asplund para Goteborg al concebir este
edificio que fue ganador de concurso para el nuevo
Ayuntamiento de Aarhus. La torre fue una imposicion a
posteriori y Jacobsen la imagino despues de estudiar la
arquitectura del Racionalismo Italiano. Es interesante
pensar como influencias tan extremas en el espacio, uno
al norte y otro al sur de Europa, se fusionen tan
armonicamente en un solo edificio como este.

Espero que esteis todos bien. Da recuerdos
cariñosos en el estudio.
R

68. Institut du Monde Arabe. Fumoir

Dear Joel,

This is an interior view of the Institut du Monde Arabe
in Paris, designed by J. Nouvel in 1987.
The electronically controlled sun-shading diaphragms
are a sort of high-tech versions of the traditional Arab
screens.

Hope you're doing well.
R

67. Moscow. People's Commissariat of Agriculture

Dear Steven,

The Narkomzem or People's Commissariat of
Agriculture has a very dominant presence in the
Moscow's Sadovaia Ring. Built in 1933 by Aleksei
Shchusev is contemporary of next door Le Corbusier's
Centrosoyuz. Great examples of the new architectural
language created by a few architects in support of the
ideals of the Soviets Revolution.

Regards.
R

66. Sydney- Aerial View of the Opera House

Dear Auntie Mickey,

As you can see in the picture, The
Sydney Opera House is a whole formed
out of two differentiated parts: the podium
and the shells. Jorn Utzon, who was the
architect, studied aerial photographs
of Greeks sites whilst preparing this project.
Two great "temples" and the small
restaurant pavilion, seen in the foreground,
like Nike Apteros in Athens stands to take
in the procession of visitors. As far as the
podium goes, the creation of an horizontal
plane is essential in any system intended to
organize human activities and has wider
significance than that of purely functional.



Enjoy your trip to Australia!
Love
R