[ENG] The Altamira Building an icon of the 40s [ESP] El Edificio Altamira un ícono de los años 40

in Architecture+Design3 years ago

The Altamira Building an icon of the 40s

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From this angle you can see the silhouette of the Altamira Building. Personal photo, July 2021 (Desde este ángulo se aprecia la silueta del Edificio Altamira). Foto personal, julio 2021

     After a long walk through the east of the city of Caracas, I was resting in the Plaza Francia (better known as "Plaza Altamira"), when I noticed the existence of an old and beautiful building that had the same name of the old Plaza, the figure contrasted with the other buildings near the plaza, so I took a series of photos of it and set out to find out something about its existence. This is where this post came from, which I hope meets the aesthetic standards of my esteemed readers.


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The windows, on the corner, of the apartments accentuate the particular condition of the building, exhibiting the encounter between the square and the current Altamira urbanization. Personal photo, July 2021 (Las ventanas, en esquina, de los apartamentos acentúan la condición particular del edificio, expositor del encuentro entre la plaza y la actual urbanización Altamira). Foto personal, julio 2021

     In an interview that the journalist Henry Vicente made in 1998 to the Turkish architect, born in Istanbul in 1910 and died in Caracas in 2011, Arthur Kahn, he confessed that he was awarded the work almost by chance, as he attended an interview with the construction magnate Luis Roche, to offer him his services as an architect, when he found out that he wanted to build new urban developments in eastern Caracas. Once Roche heard the architect's offer, he told him: "We are not architects, but we have very good architecture books and that is why we never use the services of an architect." Phrase to which Kahn replied: "Dear Mr. Roche, thank you for your hospitality and if one day you feel bad health please call me, I am not a doctor but I have very good medical books." According to the story, Roche, thanks to Khan's occurrence, immediately granted him the architecture contract for the building in Altamira Square in the Chacao Municipality.


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On the façade you can see the horizontal viscera that cast various shadows that protect the building from excessive heat. Personal photo, July 2021 (En la fachada se observan las vísceras horizontales que arrojan diversas sombras que protegen al edificio del calor excesivo). Foto personal, julio 2021

     The building was designed in 1946, to be built on land adjacent to Plaza Altamira, owned by Luis Roche, with a privileged background configured by the majestic Cerro el Ávila. The general idea was to build a 20-story tower, then the idea of a three-part building that would be related to Plaza Altamira (now Plaza Francia) was developed. Kahn, who only got to build the first part, assimilated the idea perfectly. The structure of the building, which faces the Plaza, is developed in 8 floors in the shape of a semicircle, where urban design and architecture make up a single project. The curved and convex windows contrast and complement, in architectural balance, the concave shape of the building. The work was completed in 1947. As a curious fact, Khan has benches placed at the exit of the elevators on the top floors so that those who have got dizzy inside those cabins can sit on them “that have raised them so much off the ground, about eight floors of vertigo”.


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Today, the entrance to the building remains faithful to the original. Personal photo, July 2021 (En la actualidad, la entrada al edificio se mantiene fiel a la original). Foto personal, julio 2021

     On the facade of the Building you can clearly see the horizontal viscera built specifically to provide shadows to the apartments and protect them from excessive heat. On the other hand, the windows, on the corner, accentuate the particular condition of the building, exhibiting the encounter between the square and the current Altamira urbanization. The current state of the building is worthy of commendation, which is clearly noticeable in its entrance that remains faithful to the original and in the walls that make up its structure. It should be noted that, as expected, the area where the Building was built has undergone radical changes in terms of architectural constructions, roads, landscaping and mass transportation system.


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Seen from the entrance of the Altamira Building, you can notice the architectural changes that have occurred over the years. Personal photo, July 2021 (Vista desde la entrada del Edificio Altamira, se pueden apreciar los cambios arquitectónicos ocurridos con los años). Foto personal, julio 2021

     It is worth noting that the apartments were built with a functionalist vision, when accessing each apartment there is a marked separation between the service areas, located to the north, from those of the rooms, located to the south.


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After 10 years of the inauguration of Plaza Altamira in 1945 (Después de 10 años de la inauguración de la Plaza Altamira en 1945)
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     References consulted:
*Royo, Ros emón (2016): Arthur Kahn en Caracas edificio Altamira
https://arquitecturayempresa.es/noticia/arthur-kahn-en-caracas-edificio-altamira
*Edificio Altamira, 1947. Arquitecto Arthur Khan. http://guiaccs.com/obras/edificio-altamira/


El Edificio Altamira un ícono de los años 40

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The Altamira Building seen from one of the streets that surround it. Personal photo, July 2021 (El Edificio Altamira visto desde una de las calles que le rodean). Foto personal, julio 2021

     Después de una larga caminata por el este de la ciudad de Caracas, me encontraba descansando en la Plaza Francia (mejor conocida como “Plaza Altamira”), cuando me percaté de la existencia de un viejo y bello edificio que tenía el mismo nombre de la Plaza, la figura contrastaba con las otras construcciones cercanas a la plaza por lo que le tomé una serie de fotos y me dispuse a averiguar algo sobre su existencia. De allí resultó este post que espero satisfaga los estándares estéticos de mis apreciados lectores.


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Panoramic of the entrance to the building. Personal photo, July 2021 (Panorámica de la entrada al edificio). Foto personal, julio 2021

     En una entrevista que le hiciese el periodista Henry Vicente en 1998 al arquitecto turco, nacido en Estambul en 1910 y fallecido en Caracas en 2011, Arthur Kahn, éste confesó que le adjudicaron la obra de forma casi fortuita, pues asistió a una entrevista con el magnate constructor Luis Roche, para ofrecerle sus servicios como arquitecto, cuando se enteró que se quería construir nuevos urbanismos en el este de Caracas. Una vez que Roche escuchó la oferta del arquitecto, le dijo: "Nosotros no somos arquitectos, pero tenemos muy buenos libros de arquitectura y por eso nunca utilizamos los servicios de un arquitecto". Frase a la que Kahn respondió: "Estimado señor Roche, gracias por su hospitalidad y si un día se siente mal de salud llámeme por favor, no soy médico pero tengo muy buenos libros de medicina". Según cuenta la historia, Roche, gracias a la ocurrencia de Khan, le concede inmediatamente el contrato de arquitectura para el edificio en la plaza Altamira en el Municipio Chacao.


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Photo from Plaza Altamira, in the background the Altamira building and to one side the Obelisk, unfortunately truncated. Personal photo, July 2021 (Foto desde la plaza Altamira, al fondo el edificio Altamira y a un costado el Obelisco, lamentablemente truncado). Foto personal, julio 2021

     El edificio fue diseñado en 1946, para ser construido en unos terrenos aledaños a la plaza Altamira, propiedad de Luis Roche, con un fondo privilegiado configurado por el majestuoso cerro el Ávila. La idea general era construir una torre de 20 pisos, luego se desarrolló la idea de un edificio de tres partes que se relacionara con la Plaza Altamira (actual Plaza Francia). Kahn, quien solo llegó a construir la primera parte, asimiló perfectamente la idea. La estructura del edificio, que mira hacia la Plaza, se desarrolla en 8 plantas en forma de semicírculo, donde el diseño urbano y la arquitectura configuran un solo proyecto. Los ventanales curvos y convexos contrastan y complementan, en equilibrio arquitectónico, la forma cóncava del edificio. La obra terminó de construirse en 1947. Como dato curioso, Khan hace colocar bancos a la salida de los ascensores en los últimos pisos para que se sienten en ellos los que se han mareado dentro de aquellas cabinas “que los han elevado tanto del suelo, unos ocho pisos de vértigo”.


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Despite the years, the construction remains in good condition. Personal photo, July 2021 (A pesar de los años, la construcción se mantiene en buen estado). Foto personal, julio 2021

     En la fachada del Edificio se pueden observar nítidamente las vísceras horizontales construidas ex profeso para otorgarle sombras a los apartamentos y protegerlos del calor excesivo. Por otra parte, las ventanas, en esquina, acentúan la condición particular del edificio, expositor del encuentro entre la plaza y la actual urbanización Altamira. Es digno de encomio el estado actual en que se encuentra la edificación, lo cual se nota claramente en su entrada que se mantiene fiel a la original y en las paredes que conforman su estructura. Es de hacer notar que, como era de esperarse, la zona donde se construyó el Edificio ha sufrido cambios radicales en lo que a construcciones arquitectónicas, vialidad, paisajismo y sistema de transporte masivo se refiere.


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Side view, looking to the east of the city. Personal photo, July 2021 (Vista lateral, que mira hacia el este de la ciudad). Foto personal, julio 2021

     Vale la pena destacar que los apartamentos fueron construidos con una visión funcionalista, al acceder a cada apartamento hay una separación marcada entre las áreas de servicio, ubicadas al norte, de las de las habitaciones, ubicadas hacia el sur.


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Photo from the 40s, where you can see the symmetry with the square, the building facing the obelisk, with the two avenues that surround it (Foto de los años 40, donde se puede observar la simetría con la plaza, el edificio dándole el frente al obelisco, con las dos avenidas que la circundan) Image

     Referencias consultadas:
*Royo, Ros emón (2016): Arthur Kahn en Caracas edificio Altamira
https://arquitecturayempresa.es/noticia/arthur-kahn-en-caracas-edificio-altamira
*Edificio Altamira, 1947. Arquitecto Arthur Khan. http://guiaccs.com/obras/edificio-altamira/

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Thanks friends from Pinmapple. I wish you a very happy weekend

It has a unique architectural form. !discovery 20

I agree my friend, with respect to what we see today, the work is unique and perhaps it was also in its time. Happy weekend


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Thank you friends of discovery-it. I hope you have a great weekend

Wow I am impressed for many reasons.

Not only is it a testament to it's solid construction (they built things to last in those days..) but also to the foresight of the simple features, such as the top line protruding window frames- something that I don't think I have ever seen here bit something that is so practical for so many reasons- rain, sunlight, etc

I think that the architects and construction personal did an outstanding job in the physical sense and the architect has great foresight to design it in such a concave shape as if it's wrapping it's arms around the monument and the plaza in a proud embrace.

Great article @besamu thank you for sharing!

Good morning dear friend chocolatescorpi, first of all, I want to apologize for not having answered you earlier, but the internet was down and it has returned very slowly. Indeed, the buildings of that time have managed to remain in good condition and continue to be points of reference for the good Venezuelan architecture of the last century; Of course, it has a lot to do with the painstaking work done by architects, engineers, and skilled workers who built the works. I must tell you that I really liked your poetic phrase "as if it's wrapping it's arms around the monument and the plaza in a proud embrace". Have a happy Sunday and a very good week.

No worries about the late reply, we all need to take some time off hive, otherwise how we we every get out to get those photos for our posts (and the have showers.🤣..)

So glad that you liked my comment, because that's exactly how I see it, like an everlasting embrace....

Wow, I just realised I'm already 90mins into Monday...I best got to bed...I hope that you have a happy Sunday!

 2 years ago  

Well done @besamu! We're happy to inform you that this publication was specially curated and awarded RUNNER-UP in Architecture Brew #40. Congratulations!

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