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lisboa: color palette

[Since the hotel we use for the Portugal tour is next to the still undeveloped Parque Mayer (Gehry has since pulled out), I thought it was a good idea to repost these two items. Originally published under the same title on 08 Jan 2008 & 05 Apr 2008.]

Recommended reading by Brendan, Brand Avenue suggests that cities —even entire nations— have color schemes. It makes sense. One of the things I’ve always loved about Lisboa is its light… a beautiful shade of yellow with just a hint of orange. The Portuguese also have an affinity for pastel tones, painting even public buildings in what I would call Easter colors.

Not just any birthday, today Argentina celebrates the 200th anniversary of breaking from the Spanish crown. Technically Spain was being run by Napoleon’s brother at the time so they broke away from the French as well… saying goodbye to two empires at once! Buenos Aires was not the first to reject Spanish authority, but it was the largest city to do so & the capital of a Viceroyalty. As such, the Revolución de Mayo marked the beginning of the end of Spanish control in the Americas.

Avenida 9 de Julio, Buenos Aires, Fermín Bereterbide

[As requested by Señor F, this is the first of what will be several reposts from the first incarnation of Line of Sight. Originally published as “often overlooked” on 05 Apr 2007.]

23 May 2010
4 Comments
architecture, argentina, buenos aires, found

Hugo Boss, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in Buenos Aires

Last year’s ad campaign for a new Hugo Boss cologne caught my eye… not only because Jonathan Rhys-Meyers appears front & center. Anyone who has been to Buenos Aires can easily recognize the background as Diagonal Sur as seen from Plaza de Mayo. My question is: why did they decide to erase the guys who strike the bell on the Siemens building?

King Carlos III of Spain declared burials inside or beside churches illegal in 1787, but the American colonies waited awhile to implement those new rules. Old habits are hard to break. Buenos Aires opened Recoleta Cemetery in 1822, but Bogotá inaugurated their first public cemetery much earlier in 1791. The same plan for that first cemetery was used for the layout of the Cementerio Central, opening in 1825.

26 March 2010
travel

I’ve enjoyed going to museums my whole life. Every Saturday as a kid growing up in Memphis, I remember pestering my mother to take me to the Pink Palace –a fantastic natural history museum– if we weren’t going to the zoo or to the movies. Or maybe do all three! No matter how many times I went, there was always something new to learn.

City view, from Atlantis shopping center, Bogotá

Bogotá’s growth as a city seemed to be outward rather than upward. Its relative lack of tall buildings point to the fact that acquiring new land was more economic than tearing down older structures & constructing taller ones in their place. Also, the fact that the region is prone to earthquakes made building low a priority. Good examples of colonial buildings dot La Candelaria. The biggest wow for me was the Franciscan Iglesia La Tercera, with construction beginning in 1760 & full of exquisite Rococo carvings… probably of walnut, very dark & sensual:

23 March 2010
3 Comments
travel

The Colombian capital evidently receives little tourism —odd since bogotanos are ultra friendly, the city sits in a privileged spot, the food is excellent, public transportation is easy & it’s an active & vibrant place. After seven days I felt I’d seen a good portion of the city, but there’s definitely more to explore for a second visit.