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.
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| 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)
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| Louis Sullivan. Auditorium bulding. Chicago. Year 1889. Fhoto:Victor Grigas. Wikipedia |
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| Louis Sullivan. Edificio Bayard-Condit . Year1897. New York |
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| Louis Sullivan. Edificio Schiller. Year1891. Chicago. Desaparecido.. Photo_. Pinterest. |
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| 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 ..
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| Year1442. Ca'd'oro. Venize. |
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Year 1872. Ca'd'oro. Glasgow.
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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.
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| Details of Alonso Martinez 7. Madrid |
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| Details of Bayard-Condit building. New York |
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| 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.
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| Antonio Palacios. Casa Matesanz. Year 1919. Madrid. |
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| Casa Matesand. Details. |
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| 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
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