Tag Archives: architecture

Oct7

La Sagrada Família

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La Sagrada Família has been under construction since 1882. It is an expiatory cathedral, meaning that is has been paid entirely by donations–built by the people, not the Church. Though the work was begun by a diocesan architect, Antoni Gaudí was commissioned in 1883 to carry out the project. To quote from the website, “Gaudí himself said: ‘The expiatory church of La Sagrada Família is made by the people and is mirrored in them. It is a work that is in the hands of God and the will of the people.'” He devoted himself to this project for the rest of his life (1926) and even lived on site for the last few years of his life. In 1926 he was hit by a tram and died 3 days later from serious injuries. Architects since then have been carrying out his original plans. Latest projection is to complete the work by 2060 (but the date gets pushed back on a regular basis).

Gaudí left his mark all over Barcelona, primarily in architecture, but also in planning and landscaping, designing furniture.

My camera couldn’t capture the grandeur, so I invite you to check out the slide show on the official website. You can select the language of your choice from a dropdown list. Even better is a virtual tour. A congregation worships there in a side chapel. Hundreds of tourists come through the sanctuary on a daily basis. Definitely worth the ticket price!

Here are a few pictures I took. I chose one that shows construction cranes on one side. The door, covered with leaves of ivy, also hosts various other insects such as a praying mantis. Gaudí  wanted to acknowledge the creatures that had been displaced by construction. The geometrical shapes were in a demonstration area to show construction techniques.

The final one is an actual workshop (unoccupied when we were there) where contemporary artisans make molds for today’s construction. Gaudí had built his workshop on site and used the most modern of techniques to make construction easier and safer for workers.

Sep28

Crystal Bridges

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About five years ago Alice Walton decided to build a museum. Wouldn’t it be nice to have that much money at your disposal that you can start a museum? 😉 As the daughter of Sam Walton, she can do just about anything she wants that merely requires millions of dollars.

The good news for the rest of us is that museum is free. Sure, you can spend money at the restaurant or in the gift shop or toss in a donation, but all they ask is for your zip code. Sweet!

Anyway, Crystal Bridges is architecturally interesting, built as it is over Crystal Springs in Bentonville, Arkansas (north of Fayetteville). Its collection is American art from colonial times to the present. So a lot of North American history is left out, but it is not completely ignored. It’s a small enough collection that one day is sufficient for exploration. We spent 4-5 hours there; some people get in and out in an hour, though that seems mighty limited.

The guided tour we joined pointed out 10 different paintings (or sets of paintings) and sculpture depicting strong women. Some of these women were the subjects and some were the artists. It was interesting to notice the change in style over various periods. The iconic Rosie the Riveter, brawny and tough, contrasted with another propaganda painting of a smaller woman who was doing lathe work at a steel mill during the same period. The message was that even ordinary women could do this kind of patriotic work while so many men were at war.

After the Civil War, women artists became more visible and we haven’t looked back!

The museum is on beautiful parkland on which sculptures invite perusal along with lovely flora and fauna. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon or a day!