Manrique, part two

If you liked the Manrique building in my previous post, here's another one for you! The Mirador del Rio, completed in 1973, is a lookout on the nortwestern tip of the island, almost 500 meters over sea level, with breathtaking views to the ocean and the neighbour island of La Graciosa. It's very different from his lava dwelling, but equally spectacular, if not even more! I've never seen anything quite like it, if I should try to describe it, it's like something out of The Hobbit mixed with a dash of Gaudi:-) 

Both buildings are equally integrated into the landscape, the lava dwelling with open skylights as the only light source, this one with spectacular views to one side. Those features make the atmosphere of the two spaces very different. Whereas the introvert lava dwelling makes you feel submerged into the landscape, this one makes you feel surrounded and protected by a built structure that facilitates the most spectacular views to the outside landscape. You enter through a narrow tunnel with beautiful displays of traditional pottery, then the space opens up in an airy domed space with huge "eyes" that fills it with light and air.

 

 

The two domes in the main space feature enormous hanging, mobile sculptures, also by Manrique, made out of scrap metal and steel and iron profiles. The pictures don't really capture how big they are. Their shape fit inside the domes like hands in a glove, and makes the white curved surfaces above them feel almost immaterial. I totally fell in love with them, and couldn't stop photographing all the details and all the combinations of elements. They're like a large steel structure exploded into geometric fragments. I'm passionate about steel, so I was naturally blown away.

 

The interior also features the most beautiful wooden door, a large fireplace, Manrique's trademark curved sofa (the greyish blue was wonderful with the rusty steel, the dark wood and all the white) and a gorgeous staircase that would never pass the building regulations I'm struggling with on a daily basis:-) It's dark wooden steps on top of the organically shaped white concrete takes you from the main space to the roof lookout. 

 

    

  

But the best is yet to come. The most dramatic experience of the Mirador is without a doubt from the outside. Only the glass resembles something manmade, the rest blends seamlessly into the landscape. The wind is ruthless, it almost rips your camera out of your hands, and, as my dad put it, "it tried to rip my clothes off"! All of this adds to the drama of the experience.  The views almost make your stomach turn and you want to lean back against the organic surface of the rock solid structure. The structure, being fully integrated in the landscape, is a safe haven from the raging wind. It's hard to get a good picture of the whole thing, obviously you can't take a few steps back.... Are you a Manrique fan yet? I have one more treat for you coming up soon. This time, it's all about fire and heat....

   

View to the ferry landing on Graciosa island.

 

       

 

 

  

How wrong could I be? Or Manrique, part one!

I hope you all had a great Easter! I've been away for a week and have fallen in love in the most unexpected place, not with a man (I already have one:-), but with an island and a local artist/ architect.
If you're european, you probably know the Canary islands. For those of you guys overseas who might not know them, these islands are spanish, but are located further south in the Atlantic ocean, off the Maroccan coast.They're known for their great climate year around, and are popular winter destinations when the Mediterranean is too cold.
My mom and dad invited my family and my sister's to come celebrate my mom's 70th birthday in a house they rented in Lanzarote. I must admit my first thought was 'oh no, not the Canary islands...'

I'm kind of allergic to mass tourism, and to me these islands are quite stigmatised in that respect. But boy, did I have to eat my words, or thoughts, rather! I've been to a couple of the other Canary islands in my 20s, and remember them as something I would not be drawn to today, but Lanzarote was quite different! We stayed in a house in a small village and avoided mass tourism all together. I was quite impressed with the restricted policy towards tourism, and how they'd managed to preserve the landscape and local building traditions. The latter, we were told, was much due to local artist/ architect Caesar Manrique, who spent years abroad, but returned to his native Lanzarote and did a great job in using his connections in high places to persuade the authorities into preserving the island's unique qualities and resisting the pressure from the charter companies.

The Canary islands are all volcanic, but in Lanzarote, the numerous volcanoes had massive eruptions as late as the 17- and 1800s, which has given the island the most peculiar landscape. It's so dramatic, with great encounters between the ocean and the extremely rugged coast.

 

I want to show you some of Manrique's great art as well as the three buildings I found most interesting.They're all pretty amazing. The artworks he's most known for are his large- scale sculptures, that are scattered across the island. Many of them are kinetic, moved by the wind. The lava landscape combined with sculptures that really capture the elements and a great period, really got to me. I see a lot of both Picasso and Miro in his work. Although not a trained architect (he had an art education), Manrique had strong ideas about architecture, that he realised in collaboration with trained architects. His buildings are very sculptural and organic.

 

The following images are from his home and studio, containing amazing living spaces actually inside the lava. By looking at the lava landscape that surrounded him, it's not so hard to understand his obsession to live in it? The house was built in 1968 on top of a volcanic trail from an eruption in 1730-36. It uses, in the lower level, the natural formation of five volcanic "bubbles" to make an unusual living space within a natural space. It's unbelievably cool. That great 60s vibe, the artworks, the lava, what's not to like? The outside of the house and upper level is inspired by the traditional local architecture, and contains exibition spaces with great works of art, both by Manrique and others. The courtyard has an enormous Manrique mural, as well as several great sculptures. I'll be showing you two other amazing manrique buildings later- to be continued!