The White Temple of Thailand

The Thailand architecture has a new icon, a modern temple earn more adepts every year, by its magnificence and beauty.

(Edición en Español)

Barbara opened the room curtains of the Hotel, Alfredo undid the luggage, he didn’t like too that his belongings were “tight” in a suitcase, not even when it was a Bossa Nova of Rimowa brand. Barbara, however, couldn’t stand the claustrophobia, she needed light, as much as possible, and the room that their parents had reserved for them could not be better equipped,“we are at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit“ she thought, a hotel five-star Luxury Collection.

They do not want to look their faces, this trip to Bangkok was not idea of them and they are rather uncomfortable. Their parents had organized for that they “closed” differences, were very concerned about the escalation of tension, which had been increasing between brother and sister, from the last Christmas. Alfredo and Barbara were born the same day, at the same time, and, just a few minutes between the times in which for the first time they watch the world. They have the same physiognomy, they are almost identical, but their personalities did not have points in common.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The most spectacular spheres

The sphere is the most perfect geometric figure that exists, and its use in architecture comes from the hand of a material called steel.

(Edición en Español)

Hi, the most important figure in the history of the mankind is, certainly, the sphere. You must think that this phrase is completely certain for several reasons, the first (and the more obvious) is that your peculiar and famous friend Rodolfo (I am) tells you, he never lies. The second is that we are born and develop our lives in one of them: the Earth, although this is a trap sphere, as it is slightly flattened by the poles.

The third is that our Greek ancestors knew already, in fact, a “such” Eratosthenes made the first measurement of the Earth’s elliptical surface, he calculated 250,000 stadia (unit of measurement equivalent to a sports stadium at the time, obviously). The connoisseurs say that Eratosthenes approached quite to the measure real of the world, at least, to which we consider today as real. There are more reasons, as is the form of our cells, our atoms and the majority of our fruits, although I like another completely different and no, is not football.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The three-dimensional rhomboids of Iceland

The new Harpa Concert Hall has become the new icon of Icelandic, creating a unique space for the music.

(Edición en Español)

Hi, am I, Rodolfo, the unique human on the planet able to discern between a facade of paper and other of fabric (from afar, obviously), but you do not think that I have lost my famous (and prodigious) humility, “au contrarie” (would say my French cousin), I have the greatest present, now that I have discovered (or rediscovered) an island and a city which makes years fascinated me, at least in part (the truth ahead).

But let’s go to the start of the journey, I was looking an island (relentlessly) to build a beautiful building when I was invited to a very special excursion: a tour of the scenes of the popular series “Game of Thrones” in Iceland. I accepted, not so much by the route as by the place, an exquisite island that had not considered and to which I owe great moments of leisure and business. So, we visited Grjotagj (who has forgotten the love between Jon and Ygritte?), Dimmuborgir (where live the Wildlings) or Hofdabrekka, Vik i Myrdalur (the famous mountains of Frostfangs).

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The strangest houses are in Japan

In Japan is built with some freedom and the taste for the experimentation, proof of this is its many architectural styles.

(Edición en Español)

Aníbal looked the sketches of what could be his future home, his future house. Despite not having much free time, he takes very seriously to define the morphology of his future home, he knows that the architect was putting all his best intention in the preparation of the draft, but there was something that was clear: would he and his family who were to enjoy (or suffer) the future construction.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

A new station for New York

Have decided to reform Pennsylvania station and turn it into a benchmark for the new 21st century… Do you build it?

(Edición en Español)

“What would do you, Carmen?”, thought Laura, a call has turned upside down her world, her always eventual world, because, if anything was clear for the protagonist of this story, is that all her environment is in constant motion, “the life is a river”, she used to think, especially when she looked engrossed the river Tormes (a tributary of the Duero) in her frequent visits to Salamanca, birthplace of her partner where had known while studying the career of technical architecture on the University.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The Dior Scenarios in China

Dior bets by the Asian giant… a big way: opening a boutique in its more international commercial centre and with a parade of luxury.

(Edición en Español)

“What would do you, Carmen?”, thought Raul, he coincided briefly with her on several occasions in the past, while he was partner of Carlos, her son, but, despite being only a possible mother in law, she filled a gap that neither he himself knew. He breathed relieved when she called him, a saturday afternoon, to say that although he not is partner of her son, the friendship between the two wouldn’t change, “great woman”. In front of him, four pictures of the same person, for the uninitiated, impossible to decide which is better. For him, photographer of models, not decide was not an option.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

A Museum every Christmas

The Museums are buildings worth visiting, especially those of last generation, that define the architectural forefront.

(Edición en Español)

With sixty three year old she did not know, exactly, from where it had taken the idea, but she loved it. As with the great occurrences, its materialization was simple: A Museum every Christmas, so simple. During the year she decide, patiently, which of all the museums of the world would visit, later, she look flight and stay for Christmas, probably would use “viajes El Corte Inglés“, as she had always done.

The first site she visited could not be other than the Louvre, the most famous Museum in the world, a complex impossible to visit in just a few days, so she would has to return sooner rather than later. For not repeat, the second year visited Mexico, specifically the Soumaya Museum, an amazing building that does not leave indifferent anybody, such and as his creative philanthropist, Mr Carlos Slim. She could not help feel some empathy when she discovered that Soumaya was the name of the wife of the billionaire, only who loses a loved one knows how important it is to perpetuate its memory.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The first vertical forest of Milan

The first vertical forest is not natural, is artificial, created by the skill and the ingenuity of the humanity.

(Edición en Español)

Hi, Christmas is coming, and with it my indescribable goodness expands exponentially, thus, it is not surprising that I have offered to adorn one of the most curious and endearing world trees: the Christmas tree of my home. But out of the Christmas context, the life continues at its usual pace, so I, Rodolfo, have visited the umpteenth rock formation in the middle of an ocean: the island of Montecristo, you know, the famous island where Edmond Dantes manages the treasure that will help him in his revenge, in the most popular novel ofAlexandre Dumas (with permission from the three Musketeers, clear) entitled “The count of Monte Cristo”.

Will be chosen this island to build my future edification? I know that you have desires to find out… but you’ll have to wait a little longer. The island rises proud up to 650 meters of height, even it have just ten kilometres long, in short, is ideal for a home friendly (if you have a helicopter), although the local authorities are reluctant to the idea. On the other hand, it is located in the Tuscany Archipelago, so from there I visited a former client who decided to reside with the nature… at high altitude!

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

Architecture Underground

The wine tourism has a new icon in Tuscany: Antinori Winery is hidden underground, beneath the land of its vineyards.

(Edición en Español)

Hi, I irradiate on this terrible day the bitter conviction that the human being has been wrong of century, the terrible feeling of having visited a place strangely wasted and the omen that will not be the last time that this happens. But my disappointment, obviously, only going by sections, my practical and generous sense of the life makes me see beyond of inadequate concepts and allows me to find more positive realities. Insurance that today, many readers will be in disagreement with my version of the facts, I face them here with a singular work, for me, away from the architecture: theAntinori Winery.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

12 million for the mansión of Scarface

A dream mansion where was filmed Scarface just sell… after a discount of 66 percent.

(Edición en Español)

The knees of Michelle Pfeifer trembled just a moment, when opened the door of the mansion, she was one step to fulfil one of her dreams, this born the first day that she heard of another surname of a woman very different: Michelle Pfeiffer. That “F” over of the surname of the famous actress, had given more than one annoyance, many people in the school told her that her surname was wrong. Once, in the Institute, even dared to complain to their parents because they did not know spelling. All now seemed a preparation for the summit moment, now, she can achieve the goal which so many years she had stolen the dream.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The island of the end of the world

A dream island for lovers of the nature in which it is impossible not to live thousands of emotions.

(Edición en español)

Rodolfo set his feet on the soil of the island with some elegance (inherent in his personality), and peeped with disillusionment a large group of journalists who were waiting for him, “I wanted to have a quiet trip,” he thought.Obviously, he was not the first (nor the last) time that this happened, his fame had increased exponentially since his desire to find an island to build a fantastic building, he publish this in a famous magazine and is almost impossible to reach an island without that hordes of communications professionals are waiting for he. Sometimes, he wondered how they were able to guess where he was going, however, sometimes he enjoy the warm welcome that always the means provide for he.

However, this moment was not the conducive for companions, thus he made them know the gathered journalists, and, very kindly they attended the requirements of Rodolfo, member of an ancient family like no other. When he is alone, he observed nearby, was on the island of El Hierro, famous for being, for centuries, the island of the Meridian zero, from Ptolemy utilized it in the century II until it moved to Greenwich in the 19th century, in fact, until the discovery of America, was considered the end of the world.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The starry sky of aluminium

A large dome with a starry sky covers the new Louvre Museum in the United Arab Emirates, the first outside France.

(Edición en español)

Hi, “exhausted” is a very comforting word, not only for who uses it, also for people who experiences it. If you will think that your friend and favourite philanthropist, I, Rodolfo, has lost some sensitivity in his mind, if you stop to think will recognize that I have reason. To be exhausted, you had to make an epic by which you are overwhelmed, of tiredness and joy, in equal part. Well, I had one of similar dimensions to the Daniel Defoe, which he must have felt when writing “Robinson Crusoe”, novel in 1,719. Especially taking into account that part of my epic happened in the Robinson Crusoe Island (located in Chile).

I was on the island to decide if it is a place where to build my future construction or if, on the other hand, I leave them the free land so that in the future they could build a park in honour of Defoe and Crusoe. My friend called me in this place, Cristina, already know, the Green concrete, and forced me to make a trip of more than 24 hours for placement of a last very special piece: that of a starry sky of aluminium.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

Louvre versus Louvre

A Palace with more than five hundred years of history reconverted to the most famous Museum in the world.

Hi, when you live in a family with significant load throughout the history, you need to learn to young age that you have a responsibility with your ancestors and, obviously, your present (the future is always an open question). Thus, you should understand my emotional ties with a building that represents more than five hundred years of history of France, and, of course, part of my own, how many documents I keep in a corner with the name this building is something that I will not say, at least today and here. It name is (you know) the Louvre(my hand shakes me when I write its name).

All starts with a wall built in 1190 by the King Felipe Augusto on the banks of the river Seine to protect Paris.This fortification varies over the time from being a defensive construction to temporary residence, and is Francisco I in 1528 who decides to establish the Royal residence in the place. Another King, Enrique II, would be responsible for carrying out the main modifications of the Palais du Louvre.Pierre Lescot was commissioned to give shape to the new Pavilion with reference to the Renaissance and creating a spectacular building with the best craftsmen and carpenters from the moment.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The Architect of the light speaks of Memory

Geometric elements express a light-filled architecture and make allusions to the past history of Granada.

Hi, if we stop to enjoy of the elements that surround us we will realize two things: first, the aesthetics of these is directly proportional to our taste (the more you like it, better aesthetic) and, second, absolutely all the elements can be measured with the geometry, you know, the science that studies the shapes and its different dimensions. Euclid is considered as the father of the geometry, above all because he wrote a treatise consisting of 13 books on the subject, and because he lived in Alexandria in the 3rd century BC (this latter imposes, obviously).

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The Global Project of the Year is for Calatrava

The Architect-Engineer has received one award more, this is the best project of the year by the ENR magazine.
(Edición en Español)

Hi, I'm Rodolfo, again, and I have to warn that the scenario in which the architecture moves is growing exponentially, as well as the manifestations emanating from it. However, all that glitters isn´t gold and also proliferate the false "prophets", which designed with unwillingly (what is called the architectural apathy) becoming in bad copies, already Cristóbal Colón said: "Finds the happiness in your work, or you'll never be happy" I don't know if this is said before or after discovering the Bahamas Islands, a spectacular place where very well could construct my future building... with my expert opinion and the permission of the local authorities, of course.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The Green Awareness

The landscape architecture is integrated into our psyche, helping us to feel and experience in a way unparalleled.
(Edición en español)

Luisa was very practical, she considered the causes as an unstoppable alteration of the reality, and the consequences as the materialization of the insurmountable. With this practical thinking had always achieved the discomfort of her closest ones, preventing that they do not see how the reality exceeded them, and against which, the best policy was the acceptance and the advancement, if this advance was already defined, clear. She did not seem to bother him the most anomalous situations, she had twenty five year old, and she was unalterable.

With Galician father and mother of New York, her life had passed with relative normality until, for reasons of work, she had to travel to Missouri, specifically the city of Saint Louis. She hurt her more than she could accept having to leave her hometown, Wayne, where it never spent anything and, in a way, this made much more secure and peaceful her life. She knew the problems of the world by the digital means of communication... but it seemed so far, although it pass in her own country...

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The Museum of Polish Jews

A Museum is the place where we save the details of the past, but can also be a wisp of hope for the future.

(Edición en Español)

Hi, the history of mankind often is summarized with words or numbers, reducing the reality to entities that have not soul and that do not allow to understand all the dimension of a tragedy, of a discovery, of the work of a person, etc. Luckily, since ancient times the mankind has found another way to bequeath his past, more direct and explicit: through of the preservation and exhibition of objects that remind us of what has happened, what is commonly known as museums (how I like museums!).

On 28 October of the last year (2014 for who read it beyond the year 2015), opened its doors to the public a very special Museum, in Warsaw (Poland), but before giving more details I'll talk about a girl named Natalie Portman, born in Israel and American of adoption, has become on her own merits in a star of the current movie scene. Her well deserved Oscar for the film "Black Swan" only testifies to this reality, but this woman is something else, for me, Rodolfo, is the best actress in the world, and you know by experience, rarely I am mistaken.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The love without limits or the secret of the Taj Mahal

For love was built this wonder in the 17th century, still today its presence shines in the world as an example of the mongolian architecture.

(Edición en español)

"I will not release you", told Steve to Laaysa, just when his hands were gripping her forearms, had come in time, but not everything was done, the hardest thing was now the rescue. In an outgoing of Pachermo peak, in the Nepal, she had a small missteps while they were climbing, and this made that she were dragged by the force of gravity, by luck, he was fast and was able to grab her at the last moment. For grab her, he had given a small jump and dropped on the rocks, had hurt him, although not complained, he had quite hurt.

"In this stance I cannot raise you without danger for us of to fall into the void, and I will not roll on these 6,200 meters of descent without a good reason," joked, "we have to wait for the rest of the group". Laaysa was about to tell him that he let her go ("like in the movies", thought with a bit of irony) but she knew that Steve would never do that, without her he will not go, that was what most liked of him and, also, what most irritated of him. "Don't talk, love, you do not spend more force than the necessary", thus, she thundered seeking help.

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

Ten years with Calatrava

Each year the entity CTBUH rewards to the best skyscraper in the world, and which it carries a decade proving its usefulness.

(Edición en Español)

Hi, I burn in wishes to arrive to the month of November, in particular, hope fervently to arrive to the day 12, do you know why? If you have thought in the 70th anniversary of the Nobel Prize of medicine Alexander Fleming, you have not success, and it is not that I do not respect or revere properly to the father of the penicillin, without which we would live in a world very different (and worse), that day I will enjoy something more inspiring and enjoyable: has come into my hands the invitation to the ceremony for the 14th awards of the CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat).

I love this ceremony for several reasons, first because it is a place where engage in high-level business, and, in the best of the cases, also are made great friendships, we must not lose sight that the meeting is organized by (nothing more and nothing less than) the Illinois Institute of technology. The second because the meeting with Mies Van der Rohe and his best work is always amazing: The Crown Hall, headquarters of the school of architecture of the Institute and headquarters, also, of the awards ceremony. The third (and no less important) because you receive a commemorative book of the event. The fourth (and last) because among the nominees each year, at the end of the event, will be selected the best tall building in the world (wow).

If you want to know more ... Touch here!

The treble of steel

The triple function of the steel in decoration can be enjoyed anywhere of the world... for button, three samples in Croatia, Belgium and New Zealand.

(Edición en Español)

Hi, we have little time, and should make the most this, for once I'm going to go straight to the point, without preambles or bagatelles. I've spent a few days in a hotel that you will want to know, it is called Hotel Lone, is a luxury resort with a quality with the highest standards of comfort, and you know that I, Rodolfo, presume of a high conception of the luxury, comparable only to that I have of the quality, I come from a family with a vocation of humility but with a millennial surname.

I was, at the Monte Molini in Rovinj, Croatia, enjoying the wonderful hotel with form of "Y", designed by the architecture Studio 3LHD for Maistra Hotels with the healthy intention of being the first in the country to membership of the Design Hotels Group. They put in the hands of the architects in 2006 an area of 22.157 square meters where to build 29.407 in just 6.147 square meters of surface. I could tell you that I saw as did reality this beautiful ship (the facade composed of horizontal strips perfectly simulates a cruise, reducing even the dimension of higher plants to achieve this effect) but I don't like to boast.

You are to ten minutes to the city centre, but you will not need to go to it for nothing, the complex opened in the year 2011 has 248 rooms of which 12 are suites of luxury, their surfaces have between 33 and 129 square meters (do not need to tell how many has the suite). Three fantastic restaurants (L, On and E) enliven your idle stomach with all kinds of wines and Mediterranean food. Of course, they also have an extensive area destined to worship you, nothing more and nothing less than 1,700 square metres of spa, Finnish sauna, heated swimming pool, gyms specialized, therapeutic areas and a large etcetera. Pools of over 1,000 square meters (even for children), terrace of 2.350, up to ten conference rooms (the largest for 650 people), gardens outside and a swimming pool with infinity edge.

I ventured in my role as detective and I discovered that every detail of the hotel was thought out and designed to be unique. A great team was in charge of every aspect, Numen/For Use created the furniture, I-Gle the staff uniforms, the artist Silvio Vujičić the fabrics in the rooms, the lobby for the innovative Ivana Franke, Spa for Studio 92, and finally, Kappo study was commissioned to the landscape around the hotel. Thanks to this team have achieved what they wanted: give a unique identity to the building, they have succeeded and its customers have granted the certificate of excellence from TripAdvisor this year, 2015.

To remember something sometimes just look at the ceiling (I don't know if you has happened on occasion, I happens to me). After having entered in the wonderful hotel lobby, from whose central point is reached the rest of rooms, a mild Flash forced me to elevate the head. "Clear", I thought, "I had forgotten the original ceiling of steel!", and immediately I began to study it: a grid of rectangular and square shapes where the white predominates, but have many pieces of different colours giving enhancement to the set, including rows of hidden luminaires that provide the desired light atmosphere. If you are interested, the company responsible for these pieces of stainless steel is called The Inox in Color (nice name). The inspiration became in presence and I remembered something related with the steel, a place I had still not visited.

I went ahead my departure from the Hotel (forgive me Lone) and I immediately went to Belgium, where another wonder created by the group of artists and architects of Gijs Van Vaerenbergh was waiting for me. A former mine of coal, converted to cultural centre and of studies, the C-Mine, these seasoned professionals have made a singular structure of steel: a labyrinth (as you read it). It has an area of 1,400 square meters, weighs 186 tons and is consists of vertical modules of steel 5 mm thick, welded together (so that nobody can making traps). The originality of the proposal is not only the material with which it is made, too its own idiosyncrasies. Its height, up to 5 metres at some points, suggests the ingenuity of the creators, forming arches in some segments and in other open spaces and practicing openings to distract the brave caught up looking for the exit.

Bolliger + Grohmann were patients to assist the architects in the development of the structural design, as well as veteran Meuwes Laswerken, the entrepreneur who made reality the labyrinth. The creation of this metallic element was made possible by informatics (of new) designers using Boolean transformations, which are computer and mathematical operations that provide only two parameters: zero and one, or true and false. I.e. applied to the metallic swarm a model whereby delete and add geometric figures, my surprise are capital. The welds can be practiced either discontinuous or continuous, it occur in different ways, this is due to the function of the welding, to the ambient to which it is subjected and the load being carried, in other words, if an area does not require... why waste time and money on weld?

Alarmed by the texture of the metal in the labyrinth I needed to find another building with a different steel, and I found one, a little farther than I thought: in the city of New Plymouth, New Zealand (already was again with the suitcase in tow). There have built a Museum in honour of the famous filmmaker Len Lye, which have invested 11.5 million dollars (10.30 million euros), the Pattersons Associates architectural firm raised a fantastic facade that seals a landmark in the city. Sinuous curves of concrete abruptly mark the outside appearance, but, as if it were a spectacle, these curves are wrapped with a plated stainless steel, is already, I had found a different steel.

I declared that time as the triplet of steel, because in a short space of time had witnessed of three fantastic ways of working with it, what gives this material to the construction cannot measure or quantify. The building has a height of 18 meters, boasts with 3,000 square meters built and opened its doors last July 25 I know that other proud parents of the creature are the developers (Cleveland Construction) and the manufacturers of panels (Rivet), who also contributed with the formwork for walls of concrete moulds. From the street you can enjoy the magnificent view of this facade, as if it were alive, as if it were part of a film. This is only achieved with stainless steel and with the expertise of its professionals. But already I'm going I have hurry (remember?), Bye Bye.