The excavation of the mountains to house construction is an ancient practice of which there are many examples around the world. The case of temples carved into volcanic tuff Lalibela (Ethiopia), is a very curious example that stands out for its uniqueness.
Construction exterior appearance. Photos: Jialiang Gao, Wikipedia
THE troglodytism, ie human use of caves and underground excavated spaces is an ancient practice. The caves were always one of the first shelters used by man, nomadic wandering in that our ancestors practiced primitive. The sculpture and architecture on rocky foundations has been practiced by many different civilizations, as evidenced by the pierced temples of Abu Simbel in Upper Egypt, the enigmatic city of Petra in Jordan, rediscovered in the early nineteenth century or the heads of U.S. presidents more meanings, carved on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota to 1930.
The regions south of Egypt in the upper basin of the Nile were always territories for the supply of good building materials. The quality of the granite was prized by builders of Egyptian civilization and, thus, much of its monuments were executed with fluvially transported stones from the quarries Ethiopians. Auguste Choisy, en su famous History of Architecture, first published in 1899, explained how those ancient builders produced massive granite blocks, rock carving and making transport directly by dragging hand with ropes.
A great example of the sophistication that the Egyptians achieved with these techniques it was the preparation and placement of obelisks. Extraction can be performed directly rock carving and making grooves in the granite mass to disengage whole pieces of great length with bronze wedges. Its displacement is produced generally by use of rollers and traction hand these huge monoliths. The adapted transport ships, plying the river Nile to the sites chosen, was the supplement that facilitate its use in the various monuments built for the pharaohs for his subjects.
Plant of the church dedicated to St. George in Lalibela
A similar technique to that of the Egyptians, heir to these ancient traditions, is the one that would be used throughout the twelfth century to excavate the pilgrimage sites of Lalibela, the new Jerusalem, in a mountainous region of northeastern Ethiopia. There are numerous examples of concentrated rock-cut architecture which resulted from a concerted effort, sponsored by a monarch called Frost Mesqel Lalibela.
Ethiopia should be a fascinating country. It is a semi-desert territory repository of an ancient culture that has survived to this day, having branches in other locations away from the world. An example of this is the Rastafarian movement, entrenched en Jamaica, recalls that these cultures and idolizes al disappeared last emperor of Abyssinia. One Ethiopian empire, heir of the kingdom of Axum, came to occupy in its heyday an immense extent, current integrating Somalia, Djibouti, eastern Sudan and South Egypt. He had several dynasties that would end with the overthrow of Negus (emperor) Haile Selasi en 1974. A branch of Orthodox Christianity would develop in that area of the world over hundreds of years, as a split from the Church of the East. Ethiopian Copts are known, as well- Lalibela have maintained that culture unique to this day, through numerous avatars and defending the powerful influence of Islam.
During the Arab invasion of Abyssinia, them axumita would move to the rugged plains of the north and there would remain the remains of a way of understanding religion in secret isolation for centuries fortified. In this part of North Africa, after implantation hegemonic Islam, would follow him practicing Orthodox worship in the sus variants nestorianas monofisitas. A religious tradition that continues to this day.
Decoration carved into the stone facade with the reason for the Greek cross with the swastika intertwined. Photos: A.Davey, Flickr
A mid-twelfth century, King Lalibela of the dinastía Zagwe be proposed recall some Bible passages building a series of scenarios that would be excavated along decades in the red rock tuff existing in the region. The set consists of several buildings and enclosures excavated forming a vast complex of crypts, underground passages, open caves and galleries that make up a ghostly and silent world under the ground wet. Four churches excel in this scheme theatrical, Salvador houses calls, Mary, of Emmanuel and St George.
One such piece, perhaps the best known, church is Greek cross, dedicated to the San Jorge Beit Giyorgis. It is an authentic monumental sculpture carved into the granite rock vertically to a height of forty feet. It is accessed through a passage drilled horizontally into the hillside, communicating with a sort of open courtyard around the church. From this outdoor venue is accessed only organized structure cross with four equal-sized lateral spaces or access chapels that are a prelude to a large central volume topped by a dome. The set is lavishly decorated inside with frescoes that show their cultural relationship with Constantinople.
Vaults interior polychrome San Jorge Church of Lalibela. Photos: A.Davey, Flickr
Beit Giyorgis is a curiosity and aesthetic architectural structure whose power is due to the way it was executed and also hints that produces profoundly unaware of that fact architectural history. A condition that the grass becomes speculation of all kinds.
In our day, architects have become fascinated by the human effort and take it as an inspiration. Is the case, as an example of the influence, Dutch team Search, formed by Dick van Gameren y Bjarne Mastenbroek, who would make a brilliant work of architecture, Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa of 2005, by reference to these precedents.
Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa. Dick van Gameren y Bjarne Mastenbroek, Search Architects. 2005. Photos: Afritecture
Throughout history, La Orotava valley has had a major fascination for travelers and visitors to disembark on the island of Tenerife. This interest has been based mainly on the spectacular landscape and natural conditions of the territory.
In his travels and voyages of discovery, multitude of figures relevant to European history and culture have passed through the north of Tenerife on the occasion of his stay on the island. Desde Humboldt, Book of y Darwin, from the scientific, a Richard Burton, between the explorers and adventurers, have had in their texts Canarian experience passing through this landscape, magnifying the peculiarities of the place.
Widespread travel habit that develops from the eighteenth century between layers with broader European population, first among the most educated of the aristocracy and then democratized and reach large segments of the bourgeoisie, Canary makes a target for commuting, although initially presenting an attractive secondary to other locations with most important cultural profiles and charm. The Grand Tour costumbre, the journey of initiation and knowledge of the places where we find the cultural foundations and develop scientific knowledge of the Enlightenment is the antecedent of mass tourism as known later in the second half of the twentieth century.
In this context, the valley of La Orotava and in particular the Puerto de la Cruz has had a prominent role as travel experience of many Central European and Anglo-Saxon characters.
With the destruction of the port of Garachico in the eighteenth century, a result of a volcanic eruption, Puerto de la Cruz became the main port of the island serving as the basis for a flourishing trade in fruit and wine. According to several authors the first hikers came to the island on board steamers fruit companies. It was the forerunner of the important tourist activity that would develop in later centuries.
Area Davit The Penitent
German hikers with local children (1906)
German Couple Martianez Beach (1906)
From this attractive identifying generic, Puerto de la Cruz experienced a very important development in the early decades of the last century which led to the emergence of some hotel facilities, as hotels and Taoro Marquesa, which served as a shelter for the first waves of travelers who came to learn about the natural wonders and take advantage of the excellent conditions of the area for therapeutic bathing in the sea. These healing benefits spread throughout Europe which made the frequent visit proliferate people coming from abroad. Thus the Puerto de la Cruz left behind their business, motivated by the crisis in the export of wine and cochineal as well as the development of the port of Santa Cruz, to qualify the tourism phenomenon definitely. It would become, according to many authors, the first Spanish resort town.
Hotel Taoro
View Martianez beach next to the banana plantation
The appearance in the years 60 intensive air transport and annual holidays among large sections of the European working population consolidated significant expectations regarding the possibility of attracting mass tourism Canary from the north of the continent. In Puerto de la Cruz, This fact resulted in the accelerated construction of city parts and new infrastructure to accommodate increasing visitor groups seeking relief based on the bathroom and sunlight.
The Beatles during their stay in the Valley of La Orotava (1963)
Camels as a tourist attraction in the Plaza del Charco
Bañistas on the beach of Martiánez
Entire areas of Puerto de la Cruz were built with fast following a model too developmentalist, own mass tourism. This is the case Martíanez peninsula and successive developments of La Paz in the urban upper. However, the characteristic of Puerto de la Cruz and the whole of the Orotava valley along its development as a tourist destination has been the mix of infrastructure alojativas with residential buildings, forming some urban areas in which predominates a high rate of local population, being, moreover, this feature one of its main attractions for regular and occasional users.
Promotional Postcard years 70 with the hotels in the hills of Martíanez
Today it is a tourist destination in a worrying decline mainly due to the threat posed some territorial deals positioned on better alternatives that have been popping up in recent years. The Orotava Valley is, nowadays, a mature destination that just grows and, also, facing competition within the archipelago from other areas with modern infrastructure as well as other tourist regions related to the European continent that offer the same resources to the tourism of sun and beach about lower prices and more aggressive in their .
Current state of infrastructure in the peninsula hotel Martianez
For all these reasons we believe that the Puerto de la Cruz in the framework of the Orotava Valley needs a redefinition of resources to offer the visitor, undertaken owing to a strategic reorientation towards a specific tourism that encourages general renovation of this tourist destination. This renewal must be undertaken by a hand through the requalification of public space and tourist resources to support the activity, and secondly the hotel infrastructure rehabilitation and existing private alojativas.
Logically, the basis of the above should focus on extensive research and cataloging of the natural, historical, ethnographic and cultural place that can document in a sexy way theming that can be offered in this case.
Martianez Lake designed by Cesar Manrique along Columbus Avenue GBGV renovated by architects
(Text from the prologue of the work done by CPPA to the Deputy Ministry of Tourism title: Tourist Establishments. Proposed Actions for the Rehabilitation edificatoria. Area of Puerto de la Cruz)
The tower Ibredrola de Cesar Pelli, a símbolo nuevo para Bilbao.
Esta semana pasado por he Bilbao on rumbo a aeropuerto. Movido por la curiosidad me he acercado to área de Abandoibarra para ver los cambios que se han Producido recientemente en esta area central de la ciudad. There I found the imposing presence in the middle of the valley of the new Iberdrola Tower, that stands alone on a sea of contemporary buildings.
In recent years we have seen has proliferated the link between the wine industry and contemporary architecture. A "marriage" that has more to do with marketing issues to functional or practical aspects. The most prestigious wineries have used architecture as a brand or image of differentiation in an industry where competition is fierce. This modernization process has been so evident in the Spanish wine sector, who has tried to take a leap of quality to boost its image and product abroad, by hiring the most prestigious architectural firms as Norman Foster, Santiago Calatrava, Zaha Hadid, etc..
For more than 50 years the attention of the curious and the interest of fitógrafos, the albino canary palm nestled in La Palma “the beautiful island”. Surprised by its striking mix of green and yellow color is due to the absence of chlorophyll in their leaves, making it extremely sensitive to a variety, rare botanical phenomenon has been studied by academics and botanical and whose attempts to play have failed.
Eighteen years ago as a professional would direct my last set architecture-dwelling. It was a low budget project to replace some earlier buildings badly damaged, existing in the first outskirts of my city. Recently, I returned to visit the place and, the greatest satisfaction for me was to note that apparently, the two buildings made are kept in very good condition, after those nearly two decades.
Recently CPPA (Planning Consultants, Landscape and Architecture) team has been appointed editor of the General Plan of Antigua on the island of Fuerteventura, after the tender for adjudication in which aspiring departed as other 13 teams. Involves the drafting of documents from Initial Approval phase until Final Approval.
Antigua is a municipality located east of the island of Fuerteventura in the historical population centers coexist (Ortega Antigua and Valleys) character and rural settlements in their hinterland, with tourist resorts (Caleta Blanca, Caleta Fustes, The Castle, Money Plains, Miraflor, Mountain of Money and Stella Maris) created from independent partial plans are one of the biggest tourist attractions of the island.
Coupon Code Caleta de Fuste
Tourist resorts on the coast of Antigua
The set of work to be done consist essentially of the review and adaptation to current planning Planning Act Natural Areas and Islands (Legislative Decree 1/2000 of 8 May) and the Law on General Planning Guidelines and Guidelines on Tourism of the Canary Islands (Law 19/2003 of 14 April) and the current Management Plan Insular de Fuerteventura (finally adopted by Decree 100/2001 of 2 April,(PIO of Fuerteventura). However is an opportunity to review the redevelopment of the land for tourist use, concentrated in the vicinity of Caleta de Fuste were Castle and the beach of the same name, and to improve urban conditions and edificatorias of different cores and existing settlements.
To end the week I'd recommend the film 80 which is often linked to cycles of Cinema and Architecture. “The Wings of Desire” Wim Wenders is an interesting feature showing fantastic scenes of the city of Berlin through the vision of two angels (Bruno Ganz y Otto Sander) observan que el mundo. Pero sin duda es un Mitica película para la arquitectura gracias a la escena magnífica desarrollada en la Biblioteca Nacional de Berlín diseñada por el arquitecto Alemán Hans Scharoun.
Later the American film industry realizo, de manera desafortunada, el remake de esta película de cult con el título “City of Angels”.
The davits provided the main means of communication in the north of La Gomera with the outside, staged development of the northern part of the island, enabling agricultural products were known and marketed abroad.
In the early twentieth century in the Canaries there was a major change, Cochineal was replaced as tomatoes and bananas monoculture, made to transform the economic structures of the islands. This brought with it a major problem so far had not taken place: these products had to consume fresh, with cochineal thing was not necessary. Both tomatoes and bananas did not allow prolonged storage so had to move quickly to places of consumption. Participación ciudadana
