Monday, February 27, 2012

The Bridge of Women

El Puente de las Mujueres, Designed by Santiago Calatrava, is a pedestrian bridge that spans a river. It is based on the interaction of two people doing the tango. The bridge can pivot around the central column to allow boats to pass.

    





Morretes

The train ride took us to the historic town of Morretes. It was a very 
quite, overcast day, perfect for a break and relaxation. 


What do you get when you cross a South American, a Cowboy and a bicycle?

Elegant Brutalism

 Banco de Londres, Clorindo Testa, 1966


Sunday, February 26, 2012

Subway Station


Rush hour in the subway station of the largest city
in South America was slightly crowded.

Cultural Center

The atrium space is centered around circulation between
 floors that are extremely flexible themselves.

A spiral staircase leads up to the almost football
 field length green roof for laying out and hanging out.

Many American singers come and perform at this
 center in the theater in the round.

Water Pumping Station

It takes up an entire city block!

The details and colors make it stand out within its context.

Basilica Del Espiritu Santo


This basilica located in Buenos Aires is one of few dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The church was designed in the gothic style on an east/west axis.  







Lina Bo Bardi

The SESC Pompeia cultural center in Sao Paulo is a project done by architect Lina Bo Bardi in 1977. It contains community theaters, gymnasiums, leisure areas, libraries and workshop spaces. The project includes a repurposed abandoned manufacturing building and a new modernist composition of additional buildings.






1927 Modernista

This house was the first modernist project in Brasil. It was done in 1927 by Gregori Warchavchik, a Russian Architect who immigrated to Brasil in 1923.



Saturday, February 25, 2012

National Library


Clorindo Testa's National Library serves as one of his multiple displays of 'Brutalist' Architecture, exposing the primary structure which is composed of massive concrete forms.

The Colorful Walls of Argentina

Buenos Aires, Argentina, does not hold its name very true (good aires) between the smoggy skies and the smell of garbage (both burning and soggy), but is very proud of several cultural things: soccer, wine, beef, and oddly enough graffiti.  To fully understand the depth and beauty of this so called "delinquent" art style, the class decided to take a tour of some pieces created legally (loosely defined) to inspire ourselves for the graffiti workshop to come (how to make stencil tags).




 
Stencil tagged tiger

Political memory wall (stencil tags)

Mosaic tag of Jack Nicholson



Political tag of a late president in an iconic comic book hero costume (portrays him as Argentina's hero)