Between Spain and Kuwait. The influence of Modernity The idea of a museum of modern art in 20th-century Spain, and the possibility of an equally modern architecture to house it, was a project that was advanced and frustrated, time after time, until the arrival of the current democratic period. The institution of the Museum of Modern Art in Spain dates back to 1894. It was … [Read more...]
The Museum, Heritage and territorial identity I. Kuwait National Museum
Between Spain and Kuwait. The influence of Modernity Kuwait's independence from Great Britain in 1961 meant imagining a new idea of State, one of a modern country. This was reflected in Kuwait's new architecture and urbanism, as well as in the construction of an official memory of its land and society. An important element conceived for this purpose was the Kuwait National … [Read more...]
Architecture Atlas. The greenhouse: architecture and desire
A greenhouse is one of the most striking elements in a garden. During the 19th century they became very fashionable: wealthy households were keen to incorporate one of them into their architecture. Maybe this is because greenhouses represent more than anything else the idea of architecture as a space of desire. They are also an architecture inevitably linked to European … [Read more...]
Mirador del Egüés. Bioclimatic dwellings in the Ecocity of Sarriguren
Valle de Egüés is a municipality located in the metropolitan area of Pamplona, north Spain, composed by several small towns. The capital of this valley is Sarriguren, a eco-friendly urban area settled in 1998. This eco-city is a pilot initiative of bioclimatic architecture and urbanism. In 2000, it was classified as "Good Practice" by the United Nations Centre for Human … [Read more...]
Life as architectural performance
Architecture atlas. The Eames: choreographing domestic life The designer couple Ray y Charles Eames lived in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, in a small, sunny home made of steel and glass and surrounded by trees. The iconic example of Modern domestic architecture, today considered a landmark of Los Angeles, began in the early 1940s. At that time, the couple of designers had … [Read more...]
Swimming pools. A private splash
A few weeks ago we wrote about Art Deco swimming pools, built in the 30s and 40s, now we write about modern and postmodern pools that took the good feeling of going swimming to the garden of single-family houses. Photograph of a swimming pool in Beverly Hills taken by Joe Scherschel for LIFE magazine in 1960. In 1960, LIFE magazine sent Joe Scherschel to photograph … [Read more...]
Do you want to swim or not? Seven Art Deco swimming pools
Nightswimming, remembering that night September's coming soon I'm pining for the moon The lyrics of the 1992 song Nightswimming, by the American music band REM, say that swimming is better on a quiet night. They evoke an unforgettable bath once the sun has set. They make us imagine the sensation of going into the water, the image of the clothes forgotten close to … [Read more...]
Abandoned landscape fragments as regeneration spaces
The view through the window shows the typical set of any city. On the right, a few collective housing towers have a paved community area on the ground floor. On the left, a recent building intended for hospital use, with a well resolved curtain wall facade. In the background, a 248 m high skyscraper. In the middle of this typically contemporary collage, there is … [Read more...]
Stories of the staircase: a journey through stairways’ role in architecture
Staircases are one of the richest architectural elements in terms of formal possibilities, one of the most complex to solve geometrically, and one of the most demanding at the functional level. In the architecture of AGi architects, staircases usually acquire an important role, as they are an opportunity to define a special transit between floors. The staircase is thought as a … [Read more...]
Power and the city. Modern architecture of the 70s in Kuwait and Madrid
The 70s were a decade of political and economic reconfiguration both in Kuwait and in Spain. Architecture gave shape to these processes, through buildings that reflected the aspirations of public and private institutions. In 1961, President Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem signed the agreement that ended the British protectorate over the region of Kuwait. The Sheikh became the father … [Read more...]