Opens on Wednesday Art Basel, the most important art fair in the world. ABC TRAVEL runs the most interesting buildings of the city and its environs; signed by the creators more pointers

Basel is prepared, as every year, to receive the best galleries and collectors the finest in prestigious art fair. The great fortunes will focus the next few days there with checkbooks fuming after a binge of art at the Biennale in Venice, ready to take over the most coveted piece of time. No crisis worth.

Transactions will multimillionaires. This beautiful Swiss city, which is cast fancifully the Rhine, through Sunday will be the nerve center of world art. Nestled in the meeting place of Switzerland, France and Germany (some say that when you move through it you do not know exactly in which country you are), Basel offers endless cultural activities as cultural guests. Not for nothing has the highest per capita number of museums across the country: up to 40 to just 200,000. But Basel is an added attraction: the leading architects are leaving their mark on the city and may make interesting architectural tours, including guided-through its streets.

Roger Federer is undoubtedly the most famous citizen of Basle in the world, as famous as their Läckerli, delicious pastas, spices and honey, but not the only one who walks the name of this city in the world. Architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron as well. We start with this pair of luxury travel for the best architecture that can be seen today in Basel. One of its most interesting buildings and is valued Schaulager (2000-2003). Built by order of the Laurenz Foundation, was inaugurated in 2003 in Münchenstein, on the outskirts of Basel. It comes in a flash with the tram 11. It is a mix of public museum (exhibits the collection of the Emanuel Hoffmann Foundation), art warehouse open to visitors and artistic research institute. Opens its doors from April to September. Currently hosting the exhibition “From Holbein to Tillmans’ in addition to the Kunstmuseum masterpieces that have been let down by reason of the shows of Van Gogh. The building of 7,500 square meters, is a curious combination of granite, wood and concrete. Its facade minimalist, white stone (pierced by a few cracks), and its very original gateway hidden inside marvelous architecture. Appointment required.

Nearby, taking the same car 11, we can admire the Signal Tower (1998-99). Herzog & De Meuron created this beautiful copper irregular trapezoid, with slats on the surface, in a railway network. The building, which is twisted, changes color depending on the light. Tricolor, the French flag (blue, red and white) the Swiss architects stained glass door Elsässtor or Alsace (2002-2005), an office building next to the station Basel SBB. It comes with trams 1, 2, 8 or 16. With him, we admire a rigorous white building by Richard Meier (now converted into a garage and office mall) and a former brewery, which Diener & Diener became UBS training center.

The route Herzog & De Meuron in Basel is endless: the colorful St. Jakob Stadium, which opened in 2002 (tram 14 or bus 36), Suva-Haus (a tribute to the myth of Icarus), Pharmacy (green , evoking the old pharmaceutical bottles) … Mario Botta has also left its mark in Basel. His best-known building in the city is BIZ (1990-95). This cylinder 28 meters in height, six-story, reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome, is built in natural stone of two colors. As a curiosity, cost 150 million francs and there he brought in 150 employees. Although it was commissioned by UBS, it was finally Regolamenti Internazionali dei Bank (Tram 3, 8, 10, 11, 14 or 15/Bus 41, 70 or 80). Botta also signs the Museum Tinguely (1994-96), in red sandstone (Bus 31 or 36). It contains an area of 6,000 square meters, with an impressive garden, which installs the amazing artifacts that devised the Swiss artist. In the downtown, next to the theater, is the famous Source Tinguely, one of the most photographed attractions in the city.

Renzo Piano Basel bequeathed to one of its most beautiful buildings, the Foundation Beyeler (1993-97). One is in the suburb of Riehen, an idyllic place in spring, full of plants and flowers. The Beyeler, now directs with his usual good sense Samuel Keller, former director of Art Basel is home to the splendid collection of Hildy and Ernst Beyeler: 200 works by Picasso, Klee, Leger, Monet, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Bacon, Lichtenstein … The elegant building, straight and sober, merges with the environment. Since some steps of the large window front lawn of the museum are often admired the “Water Lilies” by Monet. In the beautiful gardens, a large sculpture of Calder. Reached by tram 6. Just opened a monograph by Giacometti. This is another city appointments required. Hard to leave this place.

Very close to Basel, but on German soil, in the Charles Eames Strasse in Weil am Rhein (it is bus 55) is the Vitra Design Museum. It is much better than the temple of twentieth century design. It is an architectural campus (there are guided tours), which contains gems such as Gehry’s first building in Europe (1989), sinuous curves of white-houses the museum, factory, store …-, the first building designed by Zaha Hadid , 1993 (a fire station in the Iraqi Pritzker Prize points and some lines of what would become his acclaimed architecture, as the absence of straight lines) or an original station of Jean Prouvé. There were six, but only two of. The Portuguese Alvaro Siza is present on the Vitra Campus in a building with little windows for production and a bridge-tunnel in the roof of which is movable and connecting it to another building, metal facade by UK Nicholas Grimshaw.

The showroom is transferred to the new building under construction, which have been designed by Herzog & De Meuron. Another treasure is the Vitra Campus building by Tadao Ando. The Japanese fell in love with this place and, in contrast to the movement of the Gehry building, created one, whose facade is made of concrete rectangles, integrated in nature. In memory of the three trees that had to be cut can be seen in the front three leaves that fell. This building is dedicated to meetings.

Is great and excellent architecture in Basel? Very little Spanish, though. Just find a footbridge to the station Bahnhof SBB (2001-2003), who made the Seville Cruz y Ortiz. And just this journey with one of the architectural treasures of Basel, the Novartis Campus, and the best kept secret of the powerful pharmaceutical company (it is impossible to visit for that of espionage). Gehry’s building houses, Diener & Diener, Sejima and Nishizawa …

Posted: August 24th, 2009 under Basel.
Comments: none

The tribes are more fashionable than ever, despite having more than three centuries old. Madrid’s evidence of that back in the eighteenth century existed as a few paintings of Goya or Atienza.

These groups come together in terms of their ideology or way of life under the same aesthetic patterns, identity, slang, music, and even under the same rules. It is more common to focus on big cities like Barcelona or Madrid, but can be found in any Spanish city.

In fact, there are a multitude of tribes, each with a different idea: anarchic, non-political, left, right … Many of them are very fashionable and many other little outdated, but all have one thing in common: an ideology promulgated own . Only in Madrid, there are more than fifteen tribes. Each has a territory, but most are moving to the center, in shopping areas or nightlife, with bars and shops related to their personalities.

Many linked to the tribes with street violence, but not always the case. It is true that some gangs are involved in numerous incidents and attacks, which are credited with social danger. But others are harmless, since not even subject to a political ideology, but simply share trends or aesthetic tastes for the same music.

Here are some of the highlights:

Skin Heads: the tribe arose in England in the’60s with the idea of combating nationalism. But after a little split in two: the far left and far right – becoming great enemies -. In Spain, however, the prevailing right-wing group, sympathetic to his side and far more traditional. This is a racist, homophobic and violent, he wants to “clean Spain for immigrants, homosexuals, prostitutes, drug addicts and beggars.” His mark is his hair shaved, but also tend to wear nylon jackets, clothing with Nazi emblems and military boots.

Gothic: The Gothic movement was born in England around the 70 or 80. This is a tribe “dark” because their aesthetic focuses on black: their makeup, their clothes … The soundtrack is based on gothic rock, death rock or the music industry. Despite its somewhat ghostly appearance and their passion for death and darkness, are a harmless group. Goths advocating tolerance and diversity.

Punks: also known as anti-fascist or anti-punks appeared on the 70 in the United Kingdom. These are lawless and go against the system, against militarization, against capitalism, against consumerism and against neoliberalism. They like to wear clothes explosive, mostly black (in combination with bright colors), broken and worn and punk logos of their favorite bands or with slogans anti-repression. Generally, they all shaved their heads except for the peak or mohaw, denoting social status. Its most representative bands are The Ramones, The Clash or the Sex Pistol. Experts believe the Punks urban guerrillas because often the protagonists fighting against the police.

Bakalaeros: his love for music Bakalao is its most representative. Aesthetics are very similar to that of the skinheads, but instead of taking the hair completely shaved, so take mushroom type: longer shaved to the top and sides. Another major difference is their shoes: they prefer running shoes for army boots. This tribe is often the consumer of designer drugs, which consume to endure the grueling pace of the pull of “Route Bakalao.

Heavies: Besides his passion for heavy in their different styles, this urban tribe also has its own way of dressing, their own symbols and its own lingo. Normally, the heavy authentic feel a strong bond of camaraderie and belonging to his group, as well as devotion to the metal. One of the main signs of identity are their long manes. Also, wear black shirts with their favorite groups. Far has been the image of heavy drug addict, marginal and dangerous.

Emos is one of the tribes that have emerged more strongly, especially among adolescents. They have a very androgynous look: black dress, painted eyes and lips, have long hair very smooth and flequillos they cover their eyes … They are depressed and hate life. The word emo comes from “emotional”, which has its roots in punk and hardcore from the 80s. In today’s songs have been added messages sad, sentimental and suicidal. Does not represent any danger to society but to themselves because of their suicidal.

Rappers: they are fans of hip-hop and rap. Its aesthetics, anchas clothes, hats, sneakers and earrings in their ears make them unmistakable. Most are linked to the graffiti world: they see themselves as artists outside the law, where its unique canvas is the city.

Poperos (Mods): nowadays, the mods poperos or crowded clubs of the big Spanish cities (such as Razzmatazz in Barcelona). These are young middle class without a shared ideology. Simply joins his fondness for the music and its peculiar way of dressing, where there clothes of the 60s, retro and vintage, plates, etc..

The tribes have been with us always, in spite of its constant evolution. All represent a reflection of themselves, or perhaps society in which they lived. ¡Find the Spanish capital! Rent Apartments in Madrid to make your stay a perfect holiday.

If you belong to another tribe and would like to add to the list, leave us a post and write about it soon. We love to hear your ideas.

Posted: August 18th, 2009 under Spain.
Comments: none