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| MORE LATER ON THIS DELICACY. |
TALL BUILDINGS
Sevilla's first skyscraper is under construction and should be completed the first half of 2013. It's going to be a whopping 40 stories tall (180.5m or 592 ft). Not exceptional if you compare to other modern cities around the world. (The Empire State Building is nearly twice that height at 360m. The Shard in London is 309.6m.) But, in a city where you can see most of the rooflines just by climbing to the top of a 4-story building, it's impressive. Currently, the Giralda (the Cathedral's bell tower) is the tallest building in the city at a height of 104.5m (343 ft). I haven't heard any public outcry now that it's being surpassed.
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| THE SKYSCRAPER. VIEW WEST-SOUTHWEST FROM OUR ROOF. |
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| ANOTHER TOWER. VIEW NORTH FROM OUR ROOF. CHURCH OF SAN LORENZO. (BUILT IN THE 14TH CENTURY, MODERNIZED IN THE 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES) |
At this point the new tower is called the Torre Cajasol (Cajasol Tower) and is intended to be the bank's headquarters with much of the space left for other businesses. The architect is Cesar Pelli of Argentina. The tower gradually narrows from bottom to top. Flanking the tower itself will be two 3- and 4-story curving office/retail buildings. Initially, I thought those ramp-like structures were the carpark. (The carpark will be underground, beneath the tower). I've read that the plaza between the two smaller structures is supposed to imitate the look of a typical street of Sevilla. I'd like to see that. I do love the contrast of the modern with the antique, as long as it's done with respect to the antique.
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| WALKING ALONG AND LOOKING NORTH. CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART. (THE 14TH-CENTURY MONASTERY AND 19TH CENTURY CERAMICS FACTORY.) |
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| SAME STREET, LOOKING SOUTH. YOU CAN SEE THE TWO CURVING (RAMP-LIKE) BUILDINGS FLANKING THE TOWER. |
There will be a rooftop restaurant with outdoor dining, and year-round gardens open to the public. The construction is going on at the edge of the Triana neighborhood on the Island of Cartuja, home to the '92 International Exposition: a collection of contemporary buildings now used for the government of Andalucía, botanic gardens, the Center for Contemporary Art, a research and science complex, and numerous other things. From the tower you'll be able to see all of Sevilla, including the Giralda. The building's color and shape is supposed to complement and reflect the Giralda.
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| NEARBY TORRE SCHINDLER (VIEWED FROM MY "DIVING" BRIDGE). (THE 18-STORY, 65m, VIEWING TOWER WAS BUILT FOR THE 1992 EXPOSITION.) |
I wonder if I'll be able to get San Geraldo up on that roof. Whenever he's gone beyond the 20th floor of any building, he says he can feel the building sway. I may be dining alone.
MONKEYFISH
We went downstairs to Dos De Mayo for lunch today and had our standby order of Ensalada de Gambas Tropical and Taquitos Fritos de Rape (pronounced RAH-pay). The restaurant manager, Paco, loves to practice his English with us. Our agreement is: I speak Spanish and he speaks English. The process at Dos de Mayo is that you place your order at the bar and your name (or order) is called out when it's ready for you to pick it up. We sat outside and Paco called out our dishes in English. "Shrimp Salad Tropical," although not said in the correct order, was no problem. Rape is what you might know better as monkfish. Paco called out, "Neighbor. Please to pick up your Monkey Fish."
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| TROPICAL SHRIMP SALAD (WITH CRAB AND PINEAPPLE). |
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| TAQUITOS FRITOS DE RAPE. PACO'S MONKEYFISH. I THINK THAT'S AIOLI, MAYONAISE, AND MINT... BUT I WON'T SWEAR TO IT. (HOWEVER, IT DIDN'T TASTE LIKE UNCOOKED LIME JELLO AND SHAVING CREAM.) |
Cool. Thanks for the post on the building. It will be interesting to see it when it's done. I like monkey fish. In French it's called lotte.
ReplyDeleteWalt the Fourth:
DeleteIt surprises me at times how little in common some French and Spanish (and Italian) words have.
Will definitely go back next year for pictures of the finished product.
Hello Mitch:
ReplyDeleteThe new building project does sound both ambitious and exciting. However, we do wonder how easily it will eventually sit in the townscape where it will clearly tower above everything else. One thing that we think is unsuccessful in London along the Thames is the mismatch of scale of the buildings and therefore a lack of overall integrity. For us, that is where the Danube panorama in Budapest scores with all the buildings of a similar scale. It will be most interesting to see how it all works out.
Jane and Lance:
DeleteI think the building's location (across the river and in a spot behind which the city is not viewed... If you can figure that out, you get a gold star!) will not impact the skyline. But it remains to be seen. I'll be sure to take pictures when it's done and you can see what you think.
The brain of the monkey fish is the real delicacy, served live, with a chilled spoon ...
ReplyDeleteThe Owl Wood:
DeleteThat all sounds just great. No cooking involved. Except for chilling the spoon, which seems like an awful lot of work. Can the spoon be room temperature?
Do you think this high-rise will be the first of many? Strange that there are not any....no need I guess until recently? Just wondering....
ReplyDeleteI KNOW about what San Geraldo feels way up there! The building does move.Both my brother and I have a problem with this type of vertigo, I guess. I once had a real problem in a revolving restaurant...my brother had to leave.
Nonetheless, I hope you both will make it to the top of this new place!
Jim:
DeleteI don't get the sense that the skyscraper is intended to be the first of many. But who knows!?!
San Geraldo also hates revolving restaurants and will no longer even go to one. I'm sure he'll make an attempt, but he make just look out the windows. I love it all. Have you always had the problem or just since...?
interesting post my friend....it seems almost lonely in the skyline, ya know..
ReplyDeleteMonkey Man:
DeleteWhen it's done, I'll try and get shots from up top and then back at it from all over the city. (Not a fan of monkeyfish, Monkey Man?)
Is it alright if I'm not a fan of this tower hovering over that lovely city?
ReplyDeletem.
Mark:
DeleteWell, OK, it's alright. You're definitely not alone. I look forward to seeing how it works when it's done.
40 floors eh?
ReplyDeleteEmail me so we can set up a time to Skype. I need a Meetchell fix.
Nubian:
DeleteYoo betcha!
That's a rare view, antenna's on the roofs. We've all cable here and the Turkish and Moroccan people have discs on their balconies.
ReplyDeleteI'll go with you to the top floor restaurant, even my scare of heights wont stop me. [Loved the view and food at the Hancock Building in Chicago at nightfall].
Peter:
DeleteI was surprised by all the antennas. And if I had looked back onto our roof and another direction, you'd see satellite dishes.
I never got to the top of the Hancock Building in Chicago. That would be fun.
Amazing that this is Sevilla's first skyscraper!
ReplyDeleteHopefully it won't start a trend and diminish the views.
Monkey fish. Your picture was perfect!
Bob:
DeleteI agree that it's amazing and also that I hope it's not a trend. It doesn't seem likely.
I couldn't believe when I found that Monkeyfish photo (and it was free for use)!
I hope Sevilla doesn't build too many skyscrapers. They drastically change the skyline of a city, and in my opinion not for the better.
ReplyDeleteStephen:
DeleteI don't have such strong feelings against skyscrapers. I find some really wonderful. But you're right about them drastically changing the city. Any building not done well can destroy a really wonderful environment. I hope this one ends up adding something. I promise to get shots of it finished so you can see its placement and impact on the rest of the city. I hope we all like it!