The pre-northamerican arches

In Alonso Martinez square, the residential building of nº7 is a very unique example of Madrid and world architecture.

As we can see in the Architecture Guide of the College of Architects of Madrid (COAM), this building, which dates back to 1881, presents an original decorative solution that years later would be the hallmark of the famous Chicago school of architecture.

 We refer to the long pilasters that run along its entire façade framing each line of holes, which end up topped by arches, in this case slightly pointed, emphasizing the verticality of the building, a very convenient solution for the career of heights that would be unleashed in Chicago and New York years later.

Carlos Velasco. Plaza de Alonso Marinez nº7. Madrid.  Year 1881

The COAM architecture guide describes it in the following way: "pilasters finished off by arches that excavate lunettes in the cornice with section of gola- that not only is contemporary but precedes similar configurations of facades of the North American cities of Chicago and New York, including those of Louis Sullivan in the Schiller or the Guaranty Building "


    1881. Alonso Martinez 7. Madrid.            1889.   Auditorium Building. Chicago
                    Photo: Guia COAM                                                    Photo: Pinterest.


Sullivan will raise years after the construction of the Madrid building of Alonso Martinez 7, buildings with similar aesthetic solution, highlighting the following: Auditorium (Chicago 1889), Bayard-Condit (New York 1897), Schiller (Chicago 1891) and Guaranty (Buffalo , NY 1896)

Louis Sullivan. Auditorium bulding. Chicago.  Year 1889. Fhoto:Victor Grigas. Wikipedia

Louis Sullivan. Edificio Bayard-Condit . Year1897. New York

Louis Sullivan. Edificio Schiller.  Year1891. Chicago. Desaparecido.. Photo_. Pinterest.

Luis Sullivan . Guaranty Building, Year 1896. Buffalo. NY. Photo: Wikipedia

The possible inspiration of Sullivan and the school of Chicago, perhaps came from the architecture in "Cast Iron" of Glasgow (which had great impact in this school) especially the Ca'd'oro Building of Glasgow (in turn inspired in the Venetian Gothic building of the same name), although Glasgow was not yet developed the aesthetic solution that concerns us, although if pointed slightly in that line to blur the structural divide between plants of the line of columns and under a single arc at the top of the building ..

Year1442. Ca'd'oro. Venize. 

Year 1872. Ca'd'oro. Glasgow.

The Madrid building,  of Carlos Velasco architect (who desing Teatro Lara and the church of San Fermin de los Navarros) is ahead of its time with this new aesthetic, fully developed, finishing off the decoration of the arches with plateresque motifs. of Spanish architecture. In the case of American buildings, Gothic and modernist motifs, sometimes in terracotta, which crown the decoration of the set of arches of the cornice, generally Romanesque.

Details of Alonso Martinez 7. Madrid

Details of  Bayard-Condit building. New York

Details of Guaranty Building. Buffalo. Phot:gvshp.org

Years later, in Madrid, Antonio Palacios would again use this aesthetic solution, influenced by the Chicago school.

Antonio Palacios. Casa Matesanz.  Year 1919. Madrid.

Casa Matesand. Details.

  Matesanz House.Madrid.

  

For more information

-Guía de arquitectura / archiotecture guideCOAM.   TomoII
-The Chicago school of architecture. Rolf Achilles.Shire publications.2013
-Glasgow architecture guide. Robin Ward. Birlinn.2017

Metropolitan contrast 1. Madrid

Visita G. Manzana

What will be those posters with such unusual numbering ?. Strolling through the center of Madrid, this doubt may arise when you see those old tiles in many old houses.

What does that "Visit G. apple number ..." mean? Exactly what is it and at what time does it correspond?

We see two types of plates, some with the house number and others with an apple number.

We would like to have a detailed history of those plates and invite you to follow it with us:

These old tiles correspond to the General Visit of 1750-1751 that was made for the General Planimetry of Madrid .... what is it?
The "Visita General " (General Visit) was a procedure that consisted in the recognition of the houses of Madrid for the estimation of the payment of the tax of the Regalia (procedure that had already been carried out before in 1610, 1618-19 and 1625-32) .This tax, that in its origin and after the arrival of the Court in Madrid demanded, under certain conditions of the housing, the burden of housing the aristocracy visiting Madrid through the cession of a part of the house (we will talk about it in an entry on the "Houses to the Malice" and how the people managed to avoid it) or through the monetary payment of that tax (which finally ended up being the main form of payment of the tax),
This "Visita General"  of the years 1750-1751 compiled data and, together with the realization of a plan of each block, would constitute the so-called "Planimetria General de Madrid" (General Planimetry of Madrid), which can be considered the most important urban cadastre of the old Spanish Regime, formed by 557 plans of apples and three series of books on house seats (details and measures to apply taxes).

 . Calle San Andrés / San Vicente Ferrer

The date of its realization is not accidental, since 1749 is the year of the arrival of Fernando VI who, together with the Marquis of Ensenada, would carry out a series of reforms of the tax system of Spain (with the project of a Single Contribution).
For this new General Visit, the only relatively reliable map that used to exist for this purpose was used as a base, the famous "Plano de Pedro de Texeira" of 1656, on which each of the blocks was numbered, from number 1: "Hospital General", up to number 557: the "properties of the Prince Pio of Savoy". The block of the Royal Palace and its auxiliary houses were not included in the numbering, as they could not be considered as an apartment house.
For this visit, a team is constituted, with a General Visitor at the head, seven architects and their assistants.
It is already Carlos III who, in 1760 ordered that the numbering imposed by the "Visita General" of 1750-1751 be established in all the blocks and houses of the city by means of tiles. In each block should be placed as many tiles with their number and corners as, and the same with the houses, with their number (the one that corresponded inside the block) on the main portal of the building.
This system, which was the first numbering in the streets of Madrid (with the main purpose of collecting taxes) was maintained until 1838, the year in which the Marqués Viudo de Pontejos established the current street numbering system (although the old system was later temporarily resumed). The system for apples, at the time of orientation, was quite confusing as we can imagine, because there could be two houses on a street with the same number facing each other, but that corresponded to different blocks.

Behaind Plaza Mayor  

As a curiosity, the plans that were made in this "Planimetria General", were given for lost until 1988. It was known of its existence by historical references, which lost their track in the "office of apartments" after being deposited by order of Carlos III in the General Archive of Simancas. Later they found themselves in the "Miscellaneous" Section of the National Historical Archive, where they are suspected of having arrived after the Civil War from the funds of the Treasury Delegation, where they were forgotten. Today, they are in the process of restoration and study (in the Fund Service Contemporaries), is considered the richest repertoire of data on the form and ownership of real estate in Spain prior to the seventeenth century.
As for the plates, although some have been removed from the old building and placed in a later one, in many cases they are an indicator of the age of the buildings.

calle Tabernillas /calle Agua

 visita General  plate

You can see more plates of "Vista General" in : http://elarchivodemadrid.blogspot.com.es/

For more information:
-"Planimetria General de Madrid y Visita General de Casas 1750-1751" Fancisco José Marín Perellón 1989.
-"El plano de Texeira".Mª Isabel Gea Ortigas. Ediciones la Libreria.
-"La Planimetria General como fuente de Estudio". Natalia González Heras. Univ. Complutense,.
-Archivo Histórico Nacional: http://www.mcu.es/archivos/MC/AHN/index.html

Old and new way of ordering houses

Coppel Watches Madrid

The old Coppel Clock Shop was sited in number 25 and 27 of Fuencarral Street,  (later became number 15 after Gran Via Street was opened).

The 20s.  27 Fuencarral street (further 15 number)

It was a factory and watch shop founded in 1887 by Charles Coppe. A foreigner settled in Spain since 1879 (it seems it had german origin as it was in Geman where he coursed his engineering studies).
Coppel watches quickly became famous in Spain, being considered  as "the best mounted and most famous of Madrid". Specialized in wall and pocket clocks, owed his prestige to its affordable prices linked to a high quality. The production was under the leadership of a technical director of an important Swiss Clock Marking and also Coppel offered a warrantee collecting  from his customers any watch that went wrong, without questioning its deterioration.
He had fifty-five employees, including spanish, german and french.

Its was a nice shop sited in Fuencarral street, in which facade was hunging a fantastic clock described as "wonderful work of mechanics built in their shops". He exhibited in his shop an average of more than four thousand watches that were constantly renewed. Coppel began with his factory at number 25 but such was the demand that he had to expand to number 25 and 27 for storage and exhibition.
In the 20s, Coppel release Press advertisements announcing its Fuencarral 15 shop (before 25-27 and now disappeared), Mayor 6 (after that was Busian Jewellery and Padilla Perfume) and in the 50s, also Gran Via ground floor (Av. José Antonio 55, disappeared). In the 60s refurbishes the local in Fuencarral street with a radical aesthetic change in style. (See HISTORY for ads at the end of this post)
The company remained as a family business through three generations. (grandparents, parents and grandchids), becaming a public limited company on March 12th, 1924.
Afterwards (and apparently by press advertisements) left  the manufacturing and commercialized  Swiss watch brands. It was spitted into Alfono Coppel in Mayor Street and Carlos Coppel in Fuencarral Street.
The 4th November 1997 it was presented the dissolution keeping the trademark registration.
For many establishments in Madrid, especially in the early twentieth century, Coppel supplied watches to decorate their premises. Some of them still remain. We will go trough this in next posts.

6 Mayor Street Nowadays

15 Fuencarral street nowadays

You can find below a Coppel History we have selected trough advertisements:
Thanks to ABC Newspapers Library. 

-8 junio 1910. ¡Gran Surtido!
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/blanco.y.negro/1910/06/08/005.html

-24 noviembre 1948. Tres Fechas memorables de Coppel
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1948/11/24/006.html

-21 julio 1953. Un señor Reloj
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1953/07/21/002.html

-8 de febrero del 1956 69 aniversario
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1956/02/08/006.html

-12 marzo de 1959. Alfonso Coppel y Carlos Coppel distribuidores CYMA
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1959/03/12/018.html

 -16 de noviembre de 1960 . REFORMA DE FUENCARRAL 15
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1960/11/16/023.html

-9 mayo de 1963- ¡BODAS DE PLATINO!
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1963/05/09/026.html

-31 diciembre 1965. Para las fiestas y los Reyes
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1965/12/22/019.html

-06 diciembre 1967. Últmos anuncios
http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1967/12/06/015.html


For further information:
-Revista Mundo Nuevo. 21 de Agosto 1901. Número 398
-La ilustración Española y Americana nº XXIII

ABC Museum, Mahou Brewery, Chimneys and other things

Impacting contrast. From the latest to the oldest.

 

The ABC museum café generates confronted feelings.

Its architectural design with pop art reminiscences from the sixties similar to the space station from the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey", highly contrasts with the old building Comendadoras Convent of Santiago", place where f.e. Velazquez, Quevedo where ordain "Santiago Orden" knights.

View from Museum Coffee shop, windows from the convent

 The cofee shop is a white walkway hanging from the Museum entrance courtyard

The museum is located in the building of the former brewery Mahou (1890). The entrance courtyard and inside the building was refurbished.

Outside, remains much of its original industrial aesthetic appearence.

Other part fron the building has been refurbished as apartments.

Entrance to the apartments .

 

This peculiar mixture of art museum, high tech cafe, nineteenth century brewery and medieval convent generates a unique space.

As a unknown and forgotten sculpture, the neighbourhood is decorated by the old chimney.

Houses and Chimney. On the righ we can see the convent

Church Convent Towers. At the back Montserrat Church Tower

The area is surrounded by tipical taverns. One of them is close to the old factory and is called "The Cangrejero". This tavern has the reputation for many years of having the longest beer coil from Madrid (180 meters and therefore, fresher beer). Also and as a myth maybe (or not) it was said that in the tavern was served the best Mahou beer from Madrid because of  having a pipe directly from the brewery.. The tavern founded in 1932 (unfortunately quite refurbished ) was frequented by José Ortega y Gasset as it is nearby the university .

The "Cangrejero"

All the surroundings are worth it to visit.

For more information:
-Museo ABC. Calle Amaniel nº 21.
http://museo.abc.es/
-Tabernas y tapas en Madrid. Carlos Osorio. Ediciones La Libreria
-Guia de Arquitectura de Madrid. Tomo I. Coam.

The Light in Padres Dominicos Church Madrid

The outer bricks and concrete from the San Pedro Martir Church of the convent Padres Dominicos, at km 7 of NI hides an incredible light and color space.
The bell tower of twisted metal invites to visit the church.

Inside has been designed on acoustic and spatial separation basis. The glass skylight behind the altar creates a unique atmosphere enveloping a place where there is only light and color.

The bricks, curved walls and concrete cylinders where beam light slip disconcert the visitor.

Built by architect Miguel Fisac ​​in 1955, windows of Jose Maria de Labra & Adolf Winterlich, and sculpture by Pablo Serrano (Christ hangs above the altar).
The dynamism in the atmosphere is marked by the sequence of colors, from the blue of the crystals to the white of the metal tubes. After the Choir, the red light gets mixed in a unreal way.
.

Definitely it is a place that invites you to reflect and where we can feel an "almost a material environmental movement".


For more information:

-Miguel Fisac:Formas de Arquitectura y arte. n13.monografico
-Francisco Arques Soler:Aprendiendo de Fisac.Meditaciones en torno a un trozo de aire humanizado".
-Madrid arquitctura. Edit Munilla-Leria
-Guia arquitectura Coam.Tomo 3, Periferia.
-Madrid 1920-1980. Ramon Guerra de la Vega.

Picture&Text: Álvaro Rey

Chapel Nuestra Señora de la Soledad Madrid

In Fuencarral Street corner to Augusto Figueroa, amongst shops, bars and crowd we can see a small brick building forgotten in the middle of the intense activity of the street.
Some neighbors stop for praying and other few to have a quick look. It is an ancient shrine.

It seems, according to some chronicles (Madoz), that was built in 1712 by Don Francisco de Felogan and Ponce de León, Navahermosa Marquis or, according to others (Peñasco y Carbonero) by La Torrecilla Marquis, who used to live in this place (both of them one side to  and the other in front of Mesoneros Romanos Street)
It was built to keep the image of the Virgen de la Soledad, which existed since ancient years under an arch and lit by a lantern. It used to be an image of great devotion to the locals.

The arch under which was the image could have been part of the stables of the house (of Torrecilla Marquis) than made corner to Fuencarral and Augusto Figueroa street previously named,  not by coincidence, Santa Maria’s Arch Street.

The shrine door is always closed, but you can see inside through the glass door. At night the image is lightened.
This is a simple brick and masonry building, with a large arch to Fuencarral street, an entry and a small window lintel .. The roof is topped by a wooden cornice typical of Madrid. The door and fittings are from the eighteenth century.
.

Inside you can see the picture of the Virgin (similar to the image of the painting of the Virgin of La Paloma) and a crucifix that seems to be from the seventeenth century Madrid School.
The image became popular because of the professed devotion and the many miracles attributed to it.
As it is indicated in the COAM Architecture Guide, the miracle is that this small historic shrine still exists.


For more Information:
 "El antiguo Madrid". Mesoneros Romanos. 1861.
"Iglesias de Madrid" Pedro F. Garcia Gutierrez / Agustín F. Martinez Carbajo edit: Avapies.
"Guia de Arquitectura Coam-tomo I". Edit. Coam

Text: Álvaro Rey
Pictures: Manuel Rey