Canadian duo Doublespace Photography released photos of the Spanish engineer Ricardo BofillFamous Mora Roja apartment the building to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its completion.
And to mark the anniversary, photographers Amanda Large and Younes Bonhar announced Doublespace Photography He traveled to Spain to stay in an apartment in the complex for six days, in order to take in the different weather and light conditions.
“Each angle and facade changed over the course of the day, depending on whether it was in direct sunlight, in shade, or reflecting color from a neighboring facade,” Bonhar told Dzin.
“The play of light and shadow was mesmerizing. In all honesty, that alone was enough for us.”
Completed in 1973, Muralla Roja was an early work by the late architect Ricardo Bofill It is based in Alicante, Spain.
The building includes 50 functional apartments and is known for its playful architecture, bright colors and dramatic perch over the Mediterranean Sea.
Bofill, who died in 2022, described the project as “the ultimate expression of the crucial regionalism of the Mediterranean coast,” according to GestaltenHis book is about his work Visions of Architecture.
Dozens of people travel to the site each year, and it is a popular destination for paparazzi who are attracted to the cruciform postmodern structure.
Bonhar told Dzin that they saw people from all over the world “drawn to capture its charm” and that the crowd was “not limited to architecture geeks.”
The building’s jagged edges cast shadows on its blue, red and pink walls that form a series of towers that frame an inner courtyard.
On the roof of the building is a series of parapet-like clouds that enclose the public spaces and swimming pools.
From afar, the structure appears assembled from a variety of different shapes, with arches, window boxes, portholes and staircases, described by Bonharr as “escher-like”, all contributing to the structure’s surrealism, which is multiplied by the adjoining Xanadù, also designed by Bofill.
“We were really impressed by the overall fun of the design,” said the photographer.
“The complex is designed in such a way that it doesn’t reveal itself all at once – every turn brings a new surprise.”
“You might find yourself in a dark corner with only bright color emerging from an adjacent opening, and from there, either happen upon an explosion of light and color in the middle of the courtyard, or discover a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean Sea,” she continued.
“In the end, it is a place that is ahead of its time and timeless.”
With the advent of photo-sharing platforms like Instagram and changing tastes, projects from the past century have gained new fans, often led by photographers restoring buildings for twenty-first century audiences.
Recently, Anna Dave portrayed Javier Senosian Pictures El Nido de QuetzalcoatlA snake-like apartment complex in Mexico.
Last year, Jack Young released a photographed book Show “Beauty of the London Estate Council”.
Photography by Doublespace Photography.