San Francisco Convent

Some people consider Argentina to be the Europe of the West due to its European colonial roots. The San Francisco Convent is a must see for anyone traveling to Argentina. This magnificent building has a main arch similar to European churches and convents. The bright yellow colors reflect the bright and rich culture unique to Argentina.

 

The convent was built in the early nineteenth century by Latino architect Fray Vicente Muñoz. Muñoz consulted Italian architects during construction to add in a European touch to the convent.

This building holds historical significance for Argentinians. The Battle of San Lorenzo was fought next to it and many soldiers were given treatment and buried at this convent. For the aforementioned reasons, the San Francisco Convent, garden, and battlefield are National Historic Monuments of
 Argentina.

The belfry is 53 meters tall making the San Francisco Convent one of the tallest buildings in Argentina.

In front of the church is a statue of St. Francis of Assisi. Perhaps the italian architects had some influence in this matter?

St. Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the Order of Friars Minor, Order of St. Clare, and the Third Order of St. Francis. He was never ordained into the Catholic priesthood. One day, St. Francis grew tired of his upper class lifestyle and joined the poor in begging at St. Peter's in Rome. When Francis returned home he shared his fascination with simple living and began preaching in the streets. He even traveled to Egypt to convert the Sultan to put an end to the Crusades. In 1223, Francis arranged for the first Christmas manger scene. And the following year he received the stigmata- making him the first person on which Christ's wounds appeared. He is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment.

Ricardo Bofill

Ricardo Bofill is a Spanish architect that was born in Barcelona. He studied architecture in Switzerland and post-graduation started an architecture firm in Spain. The group evolved to become the Taller de Arquitectura group today-- an international and extremely successful architecture firm.

Bofill has won awards numerous awards throughout his lifetime for his architectural acheivements. Notable awards include the Vittorio de Sica Architecture Prize, Life Time Achievement Award, The Israelí Building Center, Chicago Architecture Award, Illinois Council/American Institute of Architects/Architectural Record,  Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Degree, and the Ministry of Culture France.

Notable works:

The Barcelona Airport

The Barcelona Airport was completed in 2009 and serves at least 25 million passengers every year. My sister traveled throughout Europe last year and flew into this airport for a quick trip to Spain. This enormous airport is 525,000 square meters big!

This airport was designed to serve as a gateway linking Barcelona with the rest of Europe and beyond. Bofill designed various terminals to combine different means of transportation such as airplanes, high-speed trains, local trains, and the subway.

The building is comprised of two main spaces under the same roof. The check in area is 500 meters wide, including security and baggage collection areas. The other building is 700 meters long, accommodating pre-boarding and boarding areas.

The Grand Salle Arsenal in Paris

Bofil designed and remodeled the Grand Salle Arsenal in 1985. The Arsenal Concert Hall is a cultural venue dedicated French music. This building is located in Metz, capital of the Lorraine region, France. The Arsenal is home to the French National Orchestra of Lorraine and almost 200 events are held in the Grand Salle Arsenal every year. The Arsenal has gained wide recognition as one of the most beautiful concert halls in the world.



Originally the Arsenal was built by Napoleon III in 1859 as storage for weapons and ammunition.  It remained as an arsenal until WWII. In 1985, the project of remodeling was awarded to Bofill. The  inauguration took place in February 1989 with its first concert. One of the performers, Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, stated that the venue was "an instrument of music on its own."










Here is an interview with Ricardo Bofill for you readers that are fluent in Spanish!

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Please feel free to comment below if you have suggestions about who my next featured Latino/a architect should be.

Rojkind Arquitectos

The Rojkind Arquitectos are an architecture firm located in Mexico. Their work is breath taking. Most of their work can be seen in Mexico DF, however one of their most impressive high-rise buildings was constructed in China. Rojkind Arquitectos' main value is to "give back" to the community and the land. They aspire to bring people and nature together. All of their completed projects have many windows to bring a natural element to the rooms.

Huaxi City Center in China

Please make sure you answer the poll questions at the top of this blog. Polling will add an interactive element to this blog.

I believe that most people would prefer to live in a house over an apartment or condo. Houses provide lots of space, a back yard, and ample parking! What if an apartment could provide those same elements? That is what the Rojkind firm will create in High Park, Monterrey!

The Rojkind Architects said "people enjoy the convenience of a house for its connection to a garden, or exterior spaces, which normally apartments lack. By having a project which integrates, not only terraces but real gardens even at the upper levels, we have achieved an experience unique to Monterrey."

The above video takes you on a tour all around the property. It shows the balcony gardens and luxurious amenities included in this building.

The idea surrounding this innovative creation is that luxury, city living, and nature can all exist harmoniously. With all big cities, there is pressure to use every square inch of land and cram people into apartments like sardines in a can. The Rojkind architects chose quality over quantity when designing this building. They tailored this plan for people that can afford to pay a little bit more for their unique design. This building is ten stories above ground and three stories below ground. The below ground stories serve as a parking garage for the building. The first two ground floors are for mixed retail use and the top eight floors are strictly residential- including a spa and gym for residents. Each apartment has access to a small garden and lots of windows that unite the inhabitants with nature. This property is an oasis that stands out amongst the other housing complexes in Monterrey that chose quantity of inhabitants over quality of design.

Rojkind also considered the natural environment of Monterrey when designing this building. They noted on their website "to counterbalance the strong sun, the floor plates shift in relation to one another creating a play of light and shadow, and the use of local stone, done by local craftsmen on the facade allows the building to stay cooler and makes its appearance change as the sun moves across the horizon."

The architects plan on using natural stone for the masonery to help retain heat during cold months and retain cold during hot months. This will provide better climate control for the residents living in such an extreme environment. Monterrey is one of Mexico's most developed cities. During the summer, Monterrey can reach temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for over three months. With local stones, the building can retain cool winter temperatures and then release the coolness during the hot summer days. The rocks will then cool off over night and start the process all over again. This building will still need air-conditioning but their electricity bill will be less expensive than comparable buildings without the use of natural stones.

This project will break grounds this summer. Stay tuned for more updates!

Cuadra San Cristobal

If you have been following this blog closely, you may have noticed that I can appreciate classical, beautiful, timeless architecture. I can appreciate the symmetry and form of modern architecture but usually it does not speak to me. Unless it is pink!

I was thumbing through an old Architectural Digest magazine when I came across the real estate listing pages. I still need a few years in a very successful career before I think about purchasing something from these pages but hey, a girl can dream! One listing that caught my eye is called the Cuadra San Cristobal. This gorgeous house was built as an equestrian estate in 1968 by Mexican architect Luis Barragan. This house is a bargain at $12.4 million! Who wants to split the mortgage?

Luis Barragan was born in 1902 and studied to be an engineer. He secretly attended classes to fulfill his dream job- becoming an architect. Barragan was taught and heavily influenced by Le Corbusier. They both are classified under modern architects for their straight lines, symmetry, and bold new ways. Barragan strived for serenity in his designs. He did not want to build homes, he wanted to build sanctuaries. Barragan has been honored by the Museum of Modern Art in New York and received the second Pritzker prize. According to their website, Pritzker prizes are awarded "honoring living architects whose built work demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent, vision, and commitment, which has produced consistent and significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture." (http://www.pritzkerprize.com/) Barragan passed away in 1988 but continues to inspire other architects to this day.

Let's dig into the architectural feel of this property. I believe that Barragan built this property as a summer ranch/weekend getaway for a chic and trendy family. The straight planes and bright colors make me think of trendy neighborhoods such as LA. In fact, one can view houses in LA that are very similar to Cuadra San Cristobal. Perhaps this family was native to LA or frequently traveled there.

This house has four bedrooms, five and one half bedrooms, 2,800 square feet and sits on seven acres. It even includes stables and a track for caring for equestrian friends. 

Let's look at balance within this estate. Cuadra San Cristobal's colors distinguish it from nature greatly while at the same instance existing harmoniously. The clean cut walls are very natural and completely fit the surrounding landscape. This is a place where nature and civilization coexist. One symbol of this is the existence of two swimming pools- one for the humans and one for the horses.

Make special note of the fountain used at this residence. This fountain is a Barragan trademark according to Architectural Digest.

Casa Mila by Antonio Gaudi

Hello everyone! I'm back to blogging for my Latino Media class. This series of my blog is dedicated to Latino Architects. Get ready for some incredible architecture! Please let me know if you have any suggestions. As much as I enjoy architecture-- my knowledge is limited to one basic course I took freshman year and monthly installments of Architectural Digest!

This absolutely stunning house was very modern for its time. Casa Mila was built in the very early 1900s. The Milas bought the lot in a very wealthy area of the neighborhood, surrounded by beautiful, traditional homes. At the time, locals nick named Casa Mila "La Pedrera" (translation: the quarry) because of its austere appearance amongst the traditional homes. "La Pedrera" is a term people without formal education called Casa Mila, perhaps because they were not familiar with Gaudi's other buildings and parks. He has a very unique style that is easy to recognize. Today the nickname La Pedrera has changed from unfortunate to endearing. After designing the Casa Milla, Gaudi was commissioned to La Sagrada Familia, which is undeniably his best work.

One of my favorite features of this house is the "curtain walls" made from steel and concrete. In a land of either circular or straight walls, Gaudi played with this design to include both. Modern day architecture is full of curtain walls, or at least curved structures. He wanted to create a sense of community amongst the large structure's residents. The work as a whole resembles a beehive like structure symbolizing Gaudi's intention to provide a well functioning dwelling for all residents. The organic nature of this building is absolutely marvelous. Many applaud Gaudi for his paradox of creating a "man made" and "organic" structure.

Frank Gehry's Disney Concert Hall uses curtain walls made of metal. Casa Mila is more organic in appearance due to the texture of the concrete. If the Disney Concert Hall was built in the 1900's, it would have accrued a nick name harsher than "La Pedrera!" After a bit of research some feel as though Casa Mila influenced Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum as well. Being a huge FLW fan, I respectfully disagree, but that's for another blog post! I offer a second, although fictional, building that was influenced by Casa Mila. The curved structures and concrete material are reminiscent of Disney's Little Mermaid Ariel's underwater castle.

Back to Gaudi! As an avid Catholic, Gaudi included many religious symbols. This seems unusual in a residential setting at first, but before residential architecture Gaudi designed churches and religious living quarters. Also, Spain was and still is a very Catholic nation.

Presently, Casa Mila is maintained and protected by the UNESCO heritage foundation because it is considered an international treasure. UNESCO acquired Casa Mila in the 1980s after years of neglect. With tender loving care Casa Mila is open for tours, so if you find yourself in Barcelona please go!