This amazing building in Montevideo looks like it was built yesterday but it actually dates from 1941 and was designed by architect & alchemist
Humberto Pittamiglio (1887-1966). If you follow
this thread on SkyScraperCity.com you'll see some older pictures of the building when it the ground floor was covered with graffiti. It looks sensational now.
References:
Humberto Pittamiglio (1887-1966), wikipedia.com
Edificio San Felipe y Santiago - Montevideo, SkyScraperCity.com
It's superb. I wonder if the tower at the top housed the lift motors, although it may not have even had lifts.
ReplyDeleteCould be, Andrew.
DeleteWell done Montevideo! It really did clean up beautifully! And it looks as if the very interesting gates on the ground floor were saved.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever seen Deco architecture that included decoration quite that on the top floor and ? tower, as seen in your photos? What might the inspiration have been?
Helen, the decoration on this building seems to me to be simplified and enlarged giving it a 'mock deco' feel of the late 20th century. Perhaps there are alchemy influences. Pittamiglio built & lived in a 'castle' in Montevideo that incorporated some principles of alchemy. Here's a link to brief story on Castillo Pittamiglio from Américas magazine. (http://www.oas.org/en/americas/article.asp?df_sCodigo=4355)
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