2111. Barcelona. Casa Milá

 

Querido Jordi,

Decía Gaudí que la línea recta es de los hombres y

la curva de Dios. Espero que estés disfrutando de tus

vacaciones.

Un abrazo,

R 

1940. Looshaus, Wien, Austria

 

Dear Josef,

"Cultural development involves the elimination of
ornaments from useful objects"
(Ornament & Crime, Adolf Loos)

Respectfully,
R

1632. La Pedrera. Casa Milá

Querido Walter,

"Las casas nuestras tenían pues, algo de campamentos. O
de empresas descubridoras" (Pablo Neruda, Confieso que
he vivido)

Un abrazo,
R

1543. Einfamilienhaus in Hellerau

Dear Walter,

"The simplest form is not always the best, but
the best is always simple" (Heinrich Tessenow)

R

968. Wien I Michalerplatz

Dear Claire,

"The essential happens regardless." (Friedrich Nietzsche)

Respectfully,
R

952. Barcelona. Casa Milá y Camps

Querido Federico,

"Según esto diremos que la piedra (...)
está en el más profundo centro suyo
cuando llegare y no tuviere de suyo más
virtud e inclinación para más movimiento"
(Juan de la Cruz, canción primera de
Llama)

Abrazos,
R

714. St.Petersbourg, Ambassade Allemagne

Dear John,

The German Embassy to the Russian Empire, in St.
Petersburg's St. Isaaks Platz, was designed by prominent
German architect Peter Behrens in just eight weeks. Mies
van der Rohe, an apprentice at the office of Behrens at
that time, was appointed as building construction manager.
Mies said much later that under Behrens he learned "the
grand form".

Best regards.
R

395. Mannesmannhaus Dusseldorf

Dear Gio,

"Monumentality requires cubic compactness and creation
of large form" (Peter Behrens).
But he claimed also that the Mannesmann Building derives
from an analysis of use.

Regards.
R

373. Barcelona. Construcciones modernas

Dear Tanu,

“Reflection and action respectively complement and
balance each other and must be alternated. Just like
we need both legs to make steps forwards: action and
reflection.” (Antoni Gaudi)
Here's an interesting postcard
of Gaudi's Casa Mila still under construction.

Best
R

312. Wien I., Michaelerplatz

Dear Alvaro

"An object is beautiful if it is so perfect you could not
add anything or take anything away without spoiling it.
That would be the most perfect, absolute harmony"
(Adolf Loos)

Best regards.
R

292. Postal Saving Bank, Vienna

Dear Tanu,

The grand Kassenhalle is one of Otto Wagner's most
famous masterpieces and one of the finest examples of
Viennese architecture. Wagner was here able to
combine the vision of a new Postal Savings Bank with
that of a new and modern architecture.

Best regards.
R

270. Barcelona. La Pedrera, fachada, detalle

Querida Cristina,

Gaudi decia que la Originalidad es volver al origen. En
la casa Mila esa vuelta al origen expresa la sensacion
de lo atavico con el uso sistematico de geometrias que
recuerdan las formas de criptas o cuevas, que a su vez
rememoran la idea atavica de refugio natural.

Mi besos mas.
R

196. Looshaus, Wien

Dear Kathryn,

The Goldman & Salatsch Building,
aka the Loos House is famous for
its clean lines and lintel-less windows.
Very controversial building, it was
much criticized when built. Some
comments from Franz Josef, for
instance, described the building as
having "windows without eyebrows".

Sincerely,
R

37. Paseo de Gracia, 92-Arquitecto D. Antonio Gaudi

Querido Enric,

Para mi todo empieza con este edificio. La "referencia"
a toda tu obra. Quiza tu me contestes que no.

R