#beaux arts

[iridessence]

the dreamy bathroom parlor of the LA Theatre. IG

[nobrashfestivity]

Richard Hunt, Ogden Codman The Breakers, detail of wallcovering Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Bedroom 1892-1895 Commissioned by Cornelius Vanderbilt II as a summer home. Newport, Rhode Island, United States

[newyorkthegoldenage]

The grandeur that was Penn Station, 1929.

Photo: Drahomir Josef Ruzicka via Photography & Vision

[luxus-aeterna]

downstairs at the Los Angeles theater // IG

[useless-catalanfacts]

Did you know that the Catalan vault can be found in many buildings of the United States of America?

Here's some examples:

Grand Central Terminal, New York City. Photo from Getty.

Boston Public Library. Photo by Michael Freeman/Boston Public Library.

Ellis Island Registry Room, New York. Photo by Mike Ward on Flickr.

City Hall station of the New York subway. Photo by Michael Freeman.

The Catalan vault is a brick arch that is widely used in traditional Catalan architecture. It's also present in other parts of the Mediterranean, but not as common. Its main characteristic is that it's built with the longest side of the brick facing down (usually, ceilings are made with the shortest side facing down) and with a very gentle curve, resulting in a strong self-supporting vault that allows covering a whole room without needing columns or pillars in a way that would be impossible with other kinds of masonry, and also makes it possible to build it quickly and without needing centering (the wooden structure used to support the vault or arch while it's being built, and which is removed once it's made).

So how did it make its way to the USA?

It was brought by the Valencian architect Rafael Guastavino i Moreno (1842-1908). He had already designed important industrial buildings in Catalonia, including the factory that later became the Industrial School in Barcelona and La Massa theatre in Vilassar de Dalt, among others. At the time, in Catalonia, the Catalan vault was being widely used to cover ceilings in factories.

In 1881, Guastavino moved to New York City (USA), where he used the Catalan vault to cover big ceilings, which made him gain some fame for it. He patented the vault in the USA with the name "Guastavino system".

At the time, Americans were very worried about buildings catching fire, because it often happened and had caused a huge destruction in the Chicago 1871 fire. As a response, in 1883 Guastavino bought a patch of land in Connecticut, built two houses in it using the Catalan vault, and set them on fire. He took photos of the whole process to document it and prove how this architecture style is efficient in the case of fire. He wrote about it in the magazine Decorator and Furnisher and soon won the contest to design the Progress Club's building in New York City, which made him famous among architects in the area.

He created his own company (Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company) which was focused on building the Catalan vault. He was hired for many buildings and this architectural element spread. Most churches with stone vaults built between 1890 and 1940 in the USA were designed by Guastavino's firm, as well as many other buildings across the country, particularly New York and Massachusetts.

He's buried in the St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville (North Carolina, USA), a building he designed.

[meifyoucare]

Palace of Fine Arts

San Francisco, CA 2020

[voca1ion]

The New York Central Building was built as the headquarters of the New York Central Railroad and as a companion to Grand Central Terminal. Both sat in the middle of Park Avenue, and looking north from south of 42nd one would see this tower looming over the Beaux-Arts terminal. This view is looking south, so the terminal is out of view. The construction of the Pan-Am building between the terminal and tower has since prevented people from viewing both at the same time as was intended. Today, the tower is called the Helmsley Building.

[onefootin1941]

Grand Central Station (1958)

[iridessence]

Turn of the century gilded jewelry box with pastel pink tufting

[jacks0nworld-blog]

Le Gitan (The Gypsy)

Robert Delaunay, 1915

Museo Nacional Reina Sofia

[emaadsidiki]

Paris Nord 🚂🚉

[azeenbvby]

New York Public Library - Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

[luxus-aeterna]

Ceiling details from the Los Angeles theater.

[fallensapphires]

Destinations: Grand Central Station (New York City, NY)

Selden paused in surprise. In the afternoon rush of the Grand Central Station his eyes had been refreshed.

[dgp-photos]

Curve - 2020

© Denis Garnier