Parc Guell--the original gated community

As we begin to make the final preparations for our upcoming trip to Istanbul we are taken back to last summer's vacation destination of Barcelona Spain  where we looked forward to visiting and studying the works of Antoni Gaudi and other Catalan Modernists whom Martin has long admired.  One of our destinations while there was the Parc Guell, an area that could certainly be referred to as the original gated community!

Named after Count Eusebi Guell, what is now a public park was originally designed as a housing development inspired by the English garden city movement in which homes were planned around a community that was self-contained and included plenty of what we now refer to as greenbelts.  Visit any modern housing development and you will see this idea in play today.  Sixty lots were created with the intent of building luxury homes that took advantage of  the view and the fresh air, far from the smoky environment of the city. Count Guell chose Antoni Gaudi, a renowned architect of the time, to design the buildings and homes. Unfortunately, only two lots sold, forcing Guell to alter his plans.  He convinced Antoni Gaudi to purchase the "model home" that had been constructed and Gaudi moved in with his family and his father, where they lived until 1925, just a year before Gaudi's death.  This house is now the Gaudi House Museum and home to many of Gaudi's furniture and other designs.  If you are in the Barcelona area this historical museum is definitely worth a visit.

To view our entire collection of architectural hardware and custom wall sconces, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

(323) 939-5929

What was your most memorable vacation--as we revist past vacation posts

Summer is nearing the end and our vacation destinations this year have been relatively close to home so I thought it might be interesting to relive some of our past vacations, both to far away places and nearby: England

In September of 2012 we journeyed back home to England to visit friends and family.  We shared many of our adventures such as scuttling races, quaint villages and the beauty of both old and new London.  This is also where the inspiration for our popular Hedgerow collection of custom hardware began many years ago.

Spain

Fall of 2014 found us in Barcelona Spain enjoying the trip of a lifetime.  We spent days visiting and admiring the work of Antoni Gaudi .  His awe-inspiring designs are certainly inspirational and we spent many  enjoyable hours soaking up every little detail.

 Local

We have enjoyed many "local" trips to areas that include Griffith Park, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Idyllwild, Pt Reyes and a road trip that introduced us to the grandeur of the Grand Tetons.  The beauty of these areas never ceases to amaze us as we enjoy the wildlife, scenery and all that Mother Nature has to offer.  Many times our beloved Iris is able to join us and no one enjoys a hike quite like Iris does.

We are looking forward to more travel as we depart for Istanbul in late September.  We will be viewing plenty of examples of Moorish architecture and other sites and will be certain to share photos;  so, happily, vacation time has not ended quite yet for us.

What was your most memorable vacation?

You can view our entire collection of architectural hardware at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, a  90016

323 939 5929

Summer has arrived and we have vacation plans

The summer solstice arrived at exactly  9:39 a.m. on June 21, 2015 marking the official beginning of summer for those of us who reside in the Northern Hemisphere.  Both the summer and winter solstice have historically been celebrated by ancient civilizations, including one of the oldest celebrations that took place in Stonehenge located in our native England.  But for many people, including ourselves, it is a signal that it is time for a vacation!

While our travel dates are not exactly a summer vacation, we will be traveling to Istanbul for one week in late September and can hardly wait!  I am trying my best not to think about it too much so I can stay focused on work.

This trip is, in part, inspired by our visit to Granada last year and the exposure to Moorish architecture along with the incredible work of famed architect Antoni Gaudi; all of which whetted our appetite to discover other architectural treasures. Needless to say we will be taking in the phenomenal architecture Istanbul has to offer and, like every good traveller, sampling the food.

Where are your summer vacation plans taking you?

To view the entire collection of architectural hardware at Martin Pierce, please visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.

Designers can visit the showroom located at:

5433 W. Washington Blvd.

Los Angeles, Ca  90016

323 939 5929

Closer to home we will be going up to Point Reyes in July.

Our final homage to Antoni Gaudi's architecture

As we continue to share highlights of our recent vacation to Spain we saved the best for last.  Although, quite honestly,  each of Gaudi’s works stands on its own; each is a harmonious tribute to nature. Sagrada Familia

I think the reason that La Sagrada Familia has become the focal point of Gaudi’s achievements is, in part, due to its continued evolution.  Gaudi began work on it in 1883 and continued to work until his death in 1926 when it was less than a quarter complete. Work has continued over the decades, funded by private donations.  The basilica is scheduled to be completed by 2026 which will be the centennial of Gaudi’s death.  On a side note, it is deemed a basilica, meaning significant church, as Barcelona already has a cathedral and apparently you can only have one per city!

Look closely at the exterior of the Sagrada Familia and you will find that it consists of layer upon layer of images and symbolism.

Once inside the visual delight continues.  Pillars inspired by sinew and bones are an amazing feat of both engineering and aesthetic design.

It is fun to compare the design of the pillars to the sinewy movement and design of our Epic entry door handles from our Ergo Collection of architectural hardware.

And light and color are never forgotten by the maestro!

The location and grand scale of this iconic building has certainly secured its position in history and is worth a visit since photographs do not do it justice.

You can view our entire collection of custom hardware at www.martinpierce.com.

Our homage to Gaudi continues with a visit to Colonia Guell

As we continue our discovery of Catalan Modernisme in Barcelona we began our homage to Gaudi in earnest when we visited his work at  Colonia Guell. Not to be confused with Parc Guell, the “colony” was an unusual venture into social engineering and urban planning; again funded by Gaudi’s benefactor and friend Eusebi Güell.  Colonia Guell  is in many ways the blue collar polar opposite to the planned community that was to be Parc Guell, the latter being in the new sector of Barcelona and targeted for the very affluent.

The Colony is located outside of Barcelona and reached by train and, unlike much of Gaudi’s work,  it is not unduly cluttered with tourists like ourselves.  Quite the contrary, for  on arriving at the Colony we found ourselves in a ghost town.  When we arrived at the station we were 2 of only 4 passengers who had come to the colony.  Therefore, together we 4  followed the blue track that took us past the eerily quiet factory,  through a street of quiet houses and on to the Crypt and Church which are the Gaudi highlights of this small ghost town.  The detailing on the exterior of the crypt reminds me of a reptile and so similar to our own set of Iguana door pulls.  See if you agree:

The colony was begun in 1890 at what would have been the peak of the industrial revolution that began in England. Guell was an industrialist; therefore, at the Colony his first building was not surprisingly the cotton textile mill and supporting buildings. The worker houses and the manager’s house together with a school house followed on the heels of the factory.  Finally, the church which was both the spiritual and visual center of the town. The Colony showcases Gaudi’s work and also the architecture of Joan Rubió, a disciple of Gaudi and whose CaL’Espinal is an interesting modernist house so named for the factory manager Mr. Espinal who lived there.

The Crypt of the church  is an unusual and somewhat bizarre architectural feat and it is where Gaudi developed a lot of his engineering techniques that were later used in his masterpiece, Sagrada Familia.

As Wikipedia so puts it

“Gaudí's design[edit]

The technique Gaudí used to design the church was to hang little bags of birdshot from strings. Gravity would pull these bags downwards, giving even weight distribution and stretching the strings to form a model structure, thus showing him the shapes and angles his pillars would need to be.

By photographing the model, then inverting the photograph, Gaudí could then see the model as it should look. A replica of his model for the crypt is in the Museum under the Sagrada Família in Barcelona.

This place was really spooky and also very sad.  You felt as if the lives of these workers were trapped inside the “majesty” of someone’s grand plan.

While the architecture was interesting we were pleased to return to Barcelona and the hustle and bustle of life.

To view other pieces in our collection of architectural hardware, visit our site at www.martinpierce.com.