Architectural Jewels
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Copyright © | Daniel Blanc
Sagrada Familia
For this series I am sharing my photos regarding various pieces of alluring architecture. I studied abroad in Spain through the Castagna scholarship, leaving the U.S. for the first time in 2017; what a pleasure it was to see architecture I’ve only studied before in text books! Here are 2 of perhaps 200 photos I’ve taken of this church!
Guggenheim Museum
My first time traveling outside the U.S. was to Spain and I had the opportunity to see the Guggenheim Museum by Frank Gehry in person! There are many opinions on this architecture, but it is truly a sight to behold seeing the ingenuity of the structure! I included additional photos for each of you to see how meticulously thought out the structural support systems were. The architecture itself even becomes part of the exhibition. A big shout out to Srinivasa ‘Hal’ Lygengar, the structural engineer behind this piece, who also passed around at 85 last year. His legacy lives on through the designs he helped brought to life.
The Centre Pompidou
It was a pleasure to see the in person! This building is a bold expression of architectural and structural ingenuity. It’s used for all forms of cultural activities ranging from exhibitions to even a library! On the Piazza side of the building is an expression of movement through the escalator and pipelines on the facade; and by expressing the structure on the exterior of the building, the interior spaces are nicely freed up!
Palacio de (del) Valle
I’m taking you all to Cinfuegos, Cuba today where we see some reminisce of colonial Moorish architecture. This villa itself was built by Italian architect Alfredo Colli between the years 1913 to 1917; the commissioner was a wealthy merchant named Asisclo del Valle y Blanco, who invested a million and a half peso (fortune at the time) to ensure the authenticity in the architectural styles.
There is Gothic and Mudejar, fused with Byzantine, Venetian, and Baroque. The facade is also especially decorated with Moorish tiles, mosaics, and gorgeous displays of woodwork.
While it was once his family’s home, eventually they left and the building became a casino sometime in the 1950’s. As Cuba slowly began to open up to tourism in the early 2000’s, the mansion became a historical landmark. Today part of it contains a restaurant, galaries, and other cultural functions. Fun fact: this restaurant specializes in seafood and has exhibitions that relates heavily to aquatic life. This could have a lot to do with its location in relation to the ocean. Also it’s proximity to the Jagua Hotel, as well as its terrace giving you a panoramic view of the bay, making it the perfect place in the city to enjoy sunsets.
It was truly a pleasure to have the opportunity to visit Cuba in 2018 and see this and many other gorgeous pieces of architecture! What do you think of Palacio de Valle? Would you like to learn more about it?