The morning begins with everyone taking a Myers Briggs test…never a good start to a Sunday morning. Most people are not surprised by the results but are surprised by the accuracy of the description and continue to let this new found self discovery eat away at them all day. But as our good friend Werner would say ‘you will understand more about this later.’
Werner, our Swiss Germanic Spanish architecture tour guide for the day. Some have described him as a combination of Robert de Niro and Richard Gere with a stroke worthy chest. His love for the city was intertwined with jovial sarcastic comments about the façade driven, and eclectic nature that is, Madrid architecture. He was prepared, but none of us were prepared for the journey he had in store.
He knew his audience well, I think the architectural mouths started frothing when the A1 cardboard map unfolded and the fat black marker proceeded to draw the topographical situation over the city map.
The jovial attitude towards the creation of the Spanish capital began early and we very quickly got a sense of the city that didn’t take itself too seriously. After Copenhagen and London it was a welcome relief!
An interesting day for a cycle ride – Barcelona vs. Seville in town that night, Bruce Springsteen the night before. Cycling in Australia you get used to maneuvering around cars, buses, opening delivery van doors and sometimes people. Weaving through the streets and squares of Madrid with throngs of football supporters was another story. Werner did his best to speak over the chanting and music, but I was personally relieved to get a bit of space! With the help of his trusty A1 map sticking out the top of his backpack we managed to navigate our way through the footpath planned city.
While we are here to see architecture, I feel this is not what was important about today. Today was about the architectural and urban story telling that Werner wooed us with – and not just the females. (I will included a list of our schedule below for those who are interested in buildings rather than the finely crafted performance of Werner.)
Through his mapping and inside knowledge Werner painted (drew) a picture of Madrid that we could not have found otherwise. His diagrammatic sketching of the urban sprawl like nature of Madrid over the last 900s years was captivating and not at all obvious to the untrained eye. He pointed out the numerous facades pretending to be buildings and the eclectic roof line made from buildings over a 100 year period.
After a plethora of historically, culturally and architecturally significant buildings Werner ends with a beauty. He had built the day to a perfect crescendo – this wasn’t his first rodeo. The Residential Girasol by Jose Antonio Coderch was appreciated by all. We were surprised to hear that Jose studied under Alvar Aalto in Barcelona, but once we saw the work it became obvious.
The map is completed and Werner has given us a strong framework to view the city through for the next two days. After almost 9hours of cycling and a mild asthma attack from one member while cycling uphill we end the night with some surprise mocktails (although some opted for the cock option) in the hotel lobby. We slowly let the day flow over us and the building group tensions begin to unfold in moments of instead personal reflection – damn you Myer Briggs!
Despite the erratic development and ‘the crisis’ that everyone refers to in Madrid, Werner puts the success of the city down to the fact that this is not just a city that people come to work or play, this is a city that people come to live! While London is having a continuous flow of money pushed into the development of high rises shaped by the contentious view corridors, people seem in too much of hurry to get to work to really experience what a city of 12million has to offer. Madrid on the other hand has a long history of working within their means, building facades physically and metaphorically. But people continue to flood the streets and public spaces with activity – a Jan Gehl dream as Chris would say. And while money can buy you a lot of things it can’t buy you happiness…or a city that people want to live in.
If you don’t see me back in Australia for a while you’ll know where to find me.
You can find Werner at:
I: madrides_ga
Please consider him on your next visit to Madrid.
Katy Moir
#duluxstudytour