POSTALES INVENTADAS

1706. Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan

Dear Toyo,

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

Respectfully,
R

1705. The Juilliard School building at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Dear Marcel,

"The most important features of architecture are space,

structure, and scale" (Eduardo Catalano)

Best regards,
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,
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

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

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

1699. La Cité Universitaire de Paris. Collège néerlandais

Dear Rosa,

"Architecture is the art of defined spaces"
(Willem Marinus Dudok)

Best regards,
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

1687. House 14-15, Weissenhofsiedlung, Stuttgart, 1927

Dear Hans,

"House is a machine for living in"
(Le Corbusier, Toward an Architecture, 1923)

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

1675. Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Smithsonian Institution

Dear Henry,

"a fortress of a building that works as a museum"
(The New York Times)

Best,
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

1673. Villa Nuuttila, Island of Kuusisto, Kaarina, Finland

Dear Marco,

Located in a site with scenic view Villa Nuuttila rises

on a slope like an Italian mountain lodge. This

charming villa awoke attention already during

construction. This is one of many small buildings
Bryggman designed that shows the tremendous

talent and ability this architect had to create both

humane and nature-friendly architecture.

Sincerely,
R

1672. Hilversum. School Schuttersweg

James,

A delicate, modern (but not too much) school by W.M. Dudok. Notice its "Wrightian" arched entrance with red and blue glazed bricks.

Best regards,
R

1671. Rothschild Boulevard, Tel-Aviv

Querido David,

A la izquierda de la foto se puede reconocer uno de

los edificios que el arquitecto, urbanista y periodista

israelí Salomon Gepstein diseñó y construyó en

Tel-Aviv en la década de los años 1930 en estilo

Bauhaus. Afortunadamente el edificio todavía se

conserva en perfecto estado ya que ha sido

recientemente renovado.

Paz,
R

1670. Edificio de Correos, Santa Rosa, Argentina

Querido Roberto,

Como el resto de la serie de edificios para Correos y
Telecomunicaciones construidos en Argentina entre los años 1947 y 1955, éste en Santa Rosa está claramente inspirado en el edificio Gustavo Capanema inaugurado en Rio de Janeiro en 1945 y proyectado por Costa, Leão, Niemeyer, Reidy, Vasconcellos y Machado, con el asesoramiento de Le Corbusier.

Afectuosamente,
R

1669. Caja Colombiana de Ahorro, Bogotá, Colombia

Querida Mónica,

La fotografía de esta postal antigua muestra un escorzo casi completo del edificio de 15 plantas que la pionera firma Cuéllar Serrano Gómez levantó en Bogotá en 1948. Se da la circunstancia de que en la segunda mitad de la década de los 40 Gabriel Serrano viajó por Brasil y tuvo ocasión de conocer y dejarse influir por la arquitectura de Oscar Niemeyer.

Abrazos,
R

1668. Dobříš. Masarykovo sanatorium

Dear Walter,

The sanatorium for the treatment of pulmonary diseases

was built between 1936 and 1938 according to the

functionalist architectural plans by Ferdinand Fencl.

1667. Heerlen. Kantoren Oranje Nassaumijn I

Dear Rob,

The building for the Oranje Nassau Company Headquarters was designed by Rick Roosenburg in 1931 according to the functionalist principles. In 1996 the building was restored and painted all green instead of its original white.

Sincerely,
R

1666. Calambrone. Colonia Villa Rosa dal mare

Dear Devon,

This old buildings were inspired by the nostalgic Metaphysical paintings of Giorgio de Chirico and

Carlo Carrà. The Red Tower of 1913 by Chirico

and After the Sunset of 1927 by Carrà are just good examples to illustrate that idea.

Regards,
R