It has been about a week since our return from southern Spain. The journey we took around the beautiful southern part of the country consisted of 9 days of traveling between Madrid, Cordoba, Granada, Sevilla, and Merida. From the moment we left Barcelona's train station towards Madrid, I could already see scale’s relationship with the individual and the environment.
MADRID. Starting out, we noticied the similarities of Madrid to home in DC. Similar in terms of scale, this city already shows its face as a kinder side of Spain in contrast to Barcelona, the notorious rebellious ghetto. Over the two nights we spent here, we were able to go to the Prado Art Museum, Reina Sofia, Caixa Forum, and plenty of other places. Among other things, we were able to dwell into the famous "Las Bravas" tapas place as well as experiencing my first "tapas hopping" which consisted of 4 straight hours of eating and Sangria. My favorite kind of experience....la comida.
One of the most interesting buildings I encountered here, was Jean Nouvel's edition to the Reina Sofia. Gigantic and monumental like with it's red metalic like skin, a strongly defined meaning of human scale is felt as one walks past it. Juxtaposed next to lesser in vibrant color and lesser in open-"air space," Nouvel's edition definitely made it's mark within the urban space.
CORDOBA. Smaller in scale, the city of Cordoba is unique in its own. Tranquil and peaceful, this ancient city is very empty and maybe even desserted. Having the opportunity to explore the city at night, we were not able to find anyone out on the streets except for a few couples here and there. And as shady-like the narrow alleys seem to appear they were in actuality pretty safe. I was also able to experience a thermal bath here which added to the city's peaceful attitude. Adding onto this aurora of tranquility, our sketching visit to the famous Mezquita was an experience in itself. With it's history of Islamic influence... it was amazing to see the use of beautiful arches with it's geometrical proportions as we have learned. In terms of scale, the space within the Mezquita was also breath-taking. Rows over rows, arches over arches, the space continued a rhythm of thin columns giving an enclosed yet vast feeling to the space.
GRANADA. The home of Alhambra, Granada was definitely one of my favorite stops. A balance between modern and historical, the city shifts its character as you climb higher onto the hill tops of the city. The first day we hiked up to a plaza just across from the Alhambra and sketched a wide perspective view of the urban landscape at sunset. With locals singing and playing the guitar, our sketching experience became an amazing cultural experience. The following morning we took our sketching from the exterior walls of the palace to the interior. The second phase of Islamic influence on Spanish Architecture was seen here in Alhambra, from the use of water to its decorative walls. Inside the Alhambra in particular, I was interested in the architecture’s use of symbolism to signify and connect the various hierarchal spaces. Lastly, ending our day at Alhambra, we had a quick tranquil lesson on water coloring with Sophia… where I was able to delve into the art of color and light for the very first time.
SEVILLA. Sevilla’s weather upon arrival could easily be summarized in Alex’s happiness on that day. Bright and happy was Sevilla. There we were able not only to enjoy a very relaxing weather of sunshine and warmth, we were able to see architecture’s influence at its best. First, we saw the pre-existent minarets built upon and around for the Cathedral of Sevilla where the ruler of the time had wanted to preserve. The survival and influence of this was also seen in the Alcazar. Last of its phases, the Alcazar demonstrated the last stage of Islamic influence on Spanish architecture. There we saw an abundance of Islamic scriptures decorated all over the walls. Even more, the idea of water has developed a relationship within the spaces as well. Juxtaposing with and against each other, they defined what is public, semi, and private. Through the use of water, the Alcazar was able to connect all the spaces in scale. Ending our adventures in Sevilla, a few of us decided to venture out to one of Calatrava’s bridges. A connector between two sides of the river, this monumental and expressional bridge proves yet again of Calatrava’s engineering and artistic talents. Awareness of the human scale, yet again is felt as you approach the structure. From its height to its elongated cables, the bridge allows the pedestrian to feel the relationship between man and structure.
MERIDA. Our bonus “power trip” to Merida, turned out to be very beneficial. Starting off a little rushed into the Roman ruins, we got a chance to see a different side of southern Spain, away from the influences of Islamic architecture. As the Roman Empire had been vastly influential, its remains are evident in this town. This idea of the past is also seen in Rafael Moneo’s Roman Museum. There we sketched and analyzed the building’s connection with the viewer, the architecture, and the art. The greatest strength of the building, I believe, is the experiential circulation one undergoes from down up. Using light and the surrounding context, Moneo was able to create a relationship between the past and the present.
If it’s one thing I learned from our travels, a little bit of a power walk and power sketch comes a tired self.
