OK, now lets get down to business. I know you've all been dying to know what FAMOUS architects I've been hanging around with and what language BLUNDERS I've made lately. Well, I thought that those topics would be separate posts, but unfortunately for me and you those two worlds have recently collided. Yes, come near and I will share with you the story of my recent humiliation in front of Alicante architecture community.
I am holding the card of some AMAZING Alicante architects that I received from them when I went BY MYSELF to visit their studio. OK, I'm sure that even my friends from school have never heard of these guys, and even my boss is much more widely published, but they are FAMOUS to me.
I had been very familiar with this website before realizing that it is the product of Alicante, and I considered myself very lucky to meet its creator when I interviewed for the job here. (There was a FANTASTIC semester-wrap-up symposium of which he and my boss were the directors.) His site, though mostly in Spanish, is very popular in the international architecture blog world. (Could mine be the next for the big time??? Doubtful.) It was on that blog, that I first heard about the project featured in the images in this post. I had recently returned from my first journey to España, and was bummed that I had not seen it when I was in Valencia (though I never got near Alicante). It turns out that this TRAM stop is not only a few km from our place here, but the first completed project by Subarquitectura.
It also turns out that Subarquitectura are three young guys (as in the oldest of them is only 4 years older than me!) that were once students and employees of my boss. We have had a few great collaborations with them since they formed their own studio, including this widely published project where we shared the bill with some of my architectural IDOLS! (Sounds like a great reality show...¿no?)
Anyways, I was compelled by my boss to call up these guys ON MY OWN, and presumptiously ask if I could swing by their studio to get to know them. I was also to offer my English letter-writing services which have been an asset to my boss. It was GREAT! They are three really cool guys who went through a mini-presentation of every project they have done in the last two years, and they are BAFFLED as to why an American would end up in Alicante. The studio consists of three friends hanging out, getting geeky with architecture and trying to make a living doing it. LIVING THE DREAM in my opinion!
They did ask me to write a letter in English to take advantage of my boss's adventures in Boston. I was supposed to utilize José María's contacts to get them the opportunity to present their work at some school there. After a few weeks of struggling with the vague description of the letter I wrote it and sent it to them and the boss.
WAIT....where's the humiliating language blunder in this?
Turns out that I found out 15 minutes later in a reply email from the Subs (really, many locals refer to Subarquitectura and those who work there as "los Sub") and the boss, that I COMPLETELY misunderstood my letter writing assignment. I was SUPPOSED to know from my conversations with the Subs that they had previously been approached by the director of structures at that school for information about the project you are looking at. He developed a relationship with them and included this project in the structures curriculum in their graduate level courses. I was SUPPOSED to then write a letter as if it were coming from the Subs to endorse a meeting with my boss while he happens to be in Boston. WHOOOPS! (Anyway I THINK that is what I was supposed to do...I have not heard anything since my last submission to them.)
As for the TRAM station. It is INCREDIBLE! Sorry for the grainy photos...I had left the ISO at 1600 from taking a picture of a delicious salad. I will give a special prize to ANYONE who can tell me how these 10'x10'x120' steel cubes are appearing to FLY IN MID-AIR!
Also, because of my advice to him, my boss was able to watch "his" team get their second World Series victory and attend their homecoming parade. I received several text messages and camera-phone pictures from him describing how "AMAIZING" (sic) it was.
11 comments:
i could like totally answer the "quiz" and win the special prize, but i don't want to take the prize from any of the readers... since i'm like with you all the time and stuff, and you tell me all the secrets to architecture and stuff, i just don't think it'd be fair for me to win.
and as far as spanish speaking blunders go, i really think that i win that competition on a daily basis... sorry, i don't mean to try to one up you or anything, mine sucks, and your language ability doesn't.
I am going to go with "super powers derived from breakfast cereal". Yes ... I'm pretty certain that must be it.
As for blunders ... your courage to even be in the position to make them ... supercedes them.
So there.
Well, if you've seen Mrs. Gee's post on the family blog of Asher in a superdog costume, maybe he's holding up the structure. Actually, I believe I know, but to avoid being presumptuous, premature, or just wrong, I'll wait for the answer.
Cool design, interesting firm, and embarrassing but totally understandable story, especially since so many of your professional language adventures seem to arise from the assumptions your boss and coworkers make that you know all the subtext they do and that you will devine specific direction and rank priorities based on generalized comments and random or unstatement timelines. Who knew you'd have four translation obstacles: Castellano, archane dialects, professional argot, and mind reading.
you know, that's a super great question! in fact, i was thinking that same thing! so please... do tell!! lol.
as far as the blunders go... i'm totally with su madre! you being there and attempting what most people don't even think about far supercedes any blunder. but it does make for a pretty humorous story :P lol. <3
dang, language blunders are no embarassing. or as they say in spanish, they're "embarasado." ha!
but i bet if you invite los sub over for some yummy cena, they'll forgive you. and you might just have a shot at infiltrating their geek squad.
Hi Paul,
It could be that the the opposite end of the steel structure is sold steel and equal to the weight of the other, which would be hollow, and it's all balanced on those two huge mirror polished legs which sit offset from the center of the piece.
that or something crazy like there's a lighter than air substance like hydrogen or helium in some completely impermeable container/bladder and/or new helium is being pumped in all the time at an insane cost. ("venting gas prevents ex-plo-sion")
Mike
I'm with Michael on the polished chrome legs, but I think there are two other, thin, twisted legs or anchors at the far end. But I'd like to know whether the interior struts are structural or decoration or both and whether there is a difference other than show between the solid ones and the chrome or glass ones.
Frequent posts and then a long silence...my guess is work has been demanding lately (haven't read Stephs Stomp post from today yet so maybe she fills things in)...but I am dying to know how those steel cubes are suspended...and I am kind of hoping it's Michael's second suggestion.
Yes, I want to know!!!
And I want to know why some of those interior struts are opaque and others clear.
Paul, you are impossible to get a hold of, even on your own blog!
Also, saw this and thought you'd like it:
And this one too.
Okay, Michael, since Paul is ignoring us, rude even if it is because he is so busy, I'm just answering it myself. Some web pages say the two supports are all there are. From the side, they are wider than from the perspective of the pictures Paul posted. But those other two curlycue things looks like they do provide an anchor or support function to me. Look Here for more detail. Also, the clear tubes are lights. At night, with all the holes, the whole thing becomes a lamp. The structures on both sides of the track are similar. Okay, that should make Paul respond on all the things I got wrong.
ciao sr.!!
i hope this works..
you and the missus have awesome
awesome adventures...
la arquitectura es una cosa divina!! archittetura... i am so
confused bc i want to spell in castellano and the italian bastard in me takes over...
Un buen weekend tio!!
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