Architectural travel and playfulness

At The Westin Resort & Spa in Cancun, you are never entirely sure whether you are inside or outside; and this is the fundamental enigma and challenge that award-winning Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta has not only conceptualized but internalized in this very human-friendly space.

It is a place in which you get a sense of permission-giving; permission to play. And in my experience, human play and playfulness are highly underrated; often misperceived as the sole domain of children. And yet at the Westin, it is very clear that Ricardo Legoretta has indulged himself and us in a higher order of play.

Play is how we learn the basics, how we discover and relate to our physical surroundings, how we become sensitized to the sights, sounds, forms, shapes, and feelings inherent in our personal and public spaces. And from the moment you arrive at this hotel, it is clear that what Legoretta has created is a liberated sense of space — and flow.

“Architecture is the learned game, correct and magnificent, of forms assembled in the light.” — Swiss architect and urban planner Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris (known as Le Corbusier)

A multilateral space

For those who enjoy architectural-conceptual travel experiences, this particular work by Legoretta will heighten your awareness of the art form, especially because it is a highly sensory experience as well as a very clever contextual frame of reference in which numerous fundamental elements are constantly at play.

This is architecture that appeals to both cognition and the affect. The geometrical elements that Legoretta has incorporated into the hotel are proof positive of the relationship between mathematics and architecture. The lead photograph in this article, for example, demonstrates how the architect must have calculated mathematically in his mind’s eye the equivalencies that would create a harmonious, airy, and elevated space but which would at the same time preserve a human scale.

Note the telescopic effect of the view, which reflects the essential landscape he had to work with; the ocean on one side (behind us) and the lagoon on the other. And given that the space he had to work with was a relatively long (and very beautiful) beach on and equally narrow strip of land, the horizontal and lateral flow he has achieved throughout the entire multi-level series of buildings is quite remarkable.

And even though the actual property is extensive but not sprawling by any means, as you meander through the hotel you can easily get lost. This is part of the structural playfulness that is neither didactic nor pretentious, but instead invites the visitor to take alternate routes throughout the property. In this regards there is a touch of the whimsical in The Westin.

This open concept effect can also be achieved in part because the property is at the far end of Cancun’s famous Zona Hotelera and gives onto a wide beach that is also sheltered by a breakwater, thus extending the interior spaces both visually and literally. Furthermore, because The Westin is not “where the action is” in popular Cancun and has the ocean on one side and the lagoon on the other, Legoretta had a slight advantage in that he could create an architectural environment that can be more uninterrupted, and consequently more idiosyncratic and creative.

Principles, ideals, and ideas

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio was a Roman writer, architect and engineer. He is also a classical source on things architectural and is often referenced when defining the fundamental principles of architecture: order, arrangement, harmony of proportion, symmetry, congruity, economy, to mention the major themes.

As you will see from the slideshow (see link below), each of these principles has been integrated into this particular property. Because it is a resort where guests come in search of the proverbial “island of tranquility in a sea of storms,” the design has inherent in it a quiet sense of order but not the overly ambitious or even arrogant opulence that can actually intimidate some guests.

This understated order is in part created by the many private spaces that Legoretta has managed to insert here and there throughout the property. One does indeed feel far from the madding crowd but never isolated in an ambiance of luxurious excess.

Now don’t get me wrong, The Westin is indeed a luxury property (always a relative term) but Legoretta’s design features do not overwhelm nor intimidate. You never feel that you must make yourself “presentable” before venturing outside your room. This personalization of the space also adds to the spatial economy of scale and congruity of the hotel. It becomes a matrix in which diverse and surprising spaces seem to greet you at every turning. The guest is certainly indulged by this heterogeneity, but you never get the feeling of being overindulged.

Niche architecture

What I enjoyed most about this particular work by Legoretta is the way in which he uses rectangular and cubic shapes and spaces of varying size that give the property both a sense of that which is “inside” and that which is “without.” And herein lies the narrative of Legoretta’s work. All architecture tells a story; some more obvious than others, others subtle and surreptitious.

As I often say, landscape shapes culture; and Legoretta’s very Mexican expression of this form of “high culture” is a three-dimensional visual tale of the aspirations of Cancun and its bold plan.

One is reminded on many levels that The Westin Resort & Spa is also a property in Cancun, Mexico; a tropical environment in a nation with a very distinct culture and sense of place. And when you visit this hotel, you are always aware of where you are; you never feel that sense of cultural anonymity or contrived reality that other resorts sometimes project.

This is indeed “sunny Mexico” and with all due respect to mad dogs and Englishmen who go out in the noonday sun, Legoretta has created an architectural space that filters and diffuses light in many ways.

It isn’t just the obvious design features that allow indirect light to flow through the large airy spaces of the hotel, but there are other elements that use the laws of physics in reflecting and redirecting light to accentuate the interior spaces, and to bring the attenuated Mexican sun indoors. In addition, the carefully juxtaposed flow-through spaces of the hotel convey ocean breezes in which it seems to me both air and light coalesce.

Subtle “accessories”

This is the first Westin resort property to place great emphasis on artistic elements throughout the venue. And this too is in keeping with one of the main principles of fine architecture: the arrangement of “accent pieces” which includes the artful and strategic placing of them in “their proper place” in order to create a desired effect.

Now the accent pieces at The Westin happen to be fine art pieces and artifacts that collectively create a truly Mexican ambiance and a genuine perspective (another key architectural principle) on the art and artistry of the Mexican people both from ancient times and in a contemporary sense as well. The blending of art and architecture also enhances the cultural principles of historical reflection and indigenous self-expression.

And I must not forget to mention the architectural principle of symmetry which, as you will see in the images, is fundamental to Legoretta’s vision. But while he clearly emphasizes harmony, balance, and equilibrium throughout the property, he does not hesitate to experiment nor to integrate elements that are original, even asymmetrical, in their own right.

Legoretta also uses materials, furniture, and other design elements that are intrinsic in the cultural landscape of Mexico; creating an overall sense of purpose, common sense, and an affirmation of the culture that nurtured him.

A Mexican architect

The following biographical information is courtesy of The Westin Resort and Spa.

Ricardo Legorreta was born in Mexico City on May 7, 1931. He studied architecture at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). His work is easily recognized for its brightly-colored volumes. Legorreta is a disciple of Luis Barragan who carried Barragan’s ideas of regional Mexican architecture to a wider realm. Barragan, in the 1940s and 1950s amalgamated local tradition and modern movement architecture in Mexico yet his work is mostly limited to domestic architecture. Legorreta uses elements of Mexican regional architecture in his work including bright colors, plays of light and shadow, central patios and porticated corridors as well as solid Platonic volumes.

One of the important contributions of Legorreta has been the use of these elements in other building types such as hotels, factories, and churches as well as in commercial and educational buildings. Among his most famous works are The Westin Resort & Spa Cancun, the Camino Real hotels, the IBM Factory in Guadalajara and the Cathedral of Managua. He now also has a growing presence outside of Mexico, particularly in the southwest of the United States.

The architectural eloquence of Ricardo Legorreta

To see a slideshow of architectural images of The Westin Resort & Spa, click here.

Resources

The website for the architect firm of Legoretta & Legoretta

Here you will be able to learn more about Legoretta Arquitectos which was established in 1963 and which has remained “faithful to our objective to achieve the best architecture inspired in human values.”

At this very attractive and user-friendly site, you will also be able to explore other architectural projects the firm has completed around the world.

The Westin Resort & Spa Cancun

For more information on The Westin Resort & Spa, click on the above link.

The Official Cancun tourism website

For more information on Cancun and its attractions, click on the above link.

Speaking of architecture

“Architecture is the learned game, correct and magnificent, of forms assembled in the light.” – Le Corbusier,  Swiss Architect

“The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization.”– Frank Lloyd Wright,  American architect

“Life is rich, always changing, always challenging, and we architects have the task of transmitting into wood, concrete, glass and steel, of transforming human aspirations into habitable and meaningful space.” – Arthur Erickson, Canadian architect

“Good architecture is like a piece of beautifully composed music crystallized in space that elevates our spirits beyond the limitation of time.” – Tao Ho, Chinese/Hong Kong architect

Hotel Parador, Manuel Antonio Rain Forest, Costa Rica-

http://www.justluxe.com/community/hotel-parador-five-star-hospitality-in-the-costa-rican-rain-forest_a_1649710.php

Hacienda Tres Rios and other resorts, Playa Del Carmen, Mexico-

http://www.justluxe.com/community/eco-friendly-luxury-in-the-mayan-riviera_a_1649513.php

http://www.viewontravel.com/blogs/what-to-see

http://www.haikubytwo.com/featured-blogger-for-smart-talk-2012-in-minneapolis/

Those interested in participating in our as part of our link text ad program, may contact bijanc@hotmail.com to inquire about our reasonable monthly or one-time rates. Choose your own anchor text to best drive traffic.

Another missive from budding journalist Katie Hunter, this time from Bolivia:

http://dondeestalatuna.wordpress.com/

The intrepid and amusing Katie Hunter sojourns on in Peru:

http://dondeestalatuna.wordpress.com/

You’ve heard of that intersection of chick lit and Eastern spiritualism, Eat, Pray, Love? Well, globetrotting takes a decidedly different, less self-absorbed turn in Cajun author Cheré Dastugue Coen’s new blog Have Books, Will Travel, Let’s Eat:

http://havebookswilltravelletseat.blogspot.com/

Now there’s a blog after my own heart.

Save a filched jacket and some altitude queasiness, my intrepid colleague Katie Hunter (AKA “La Tuna) reaches Machu Pichu none the worse for wear:

http://dondeestalatuna.wordpress.com/

Top o’ The World To Ya Katie

The Travel Educators

Every now and then, very special global initiatives provide reason for hope that the world is not necessarily going to hell in a hand basket; and that “the indomitable spirit of humankind” is very much still at the core of human civilization. One such example is the Prince Claus Fund and its Cultural Emergency Response program (CER).

Recently I was privileged to cover the European Fine Art Fair in the exquisite city of Maastricht, Netherlands; and to attend a media conference at which Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands (Honorary Chair of the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development) gave an eloquent, rather frightening, but ultimately reassuring speech about the precarious state of cultural treasures around the world; and the determined efforts of all those who contribute to the Cultural Emergency Response program.

“Cultural heritage represents – in a way that nothing else does – a community’s link with its past, its collective memory and identity. Besides alleviating direct humanitarian needs [when tragic losses happen to cultural treasures], it is important to rebuild the social fibre of the community…. Creating and preserving cultural heritage is essential for the development of a country’s cultural history. Cultural history gives individuals and societies a raison d’être – it confers respect and identity.” – Prince Constantijn.

Culture as a basic need

The Prince Claus Fund set up the Cultural Emergency Response program, the first of its kind, in 2003 following the looting and destruction of the National Museum of Baghdad. From the beginning, the program was intended to provide rapid “first aid” to cultural heritage sites worldwide that had been subjected to natural or man-made disasters. Because there was no infrastructure in place to deal with the emergency situation in Baghdad in 2003, the Fund set about therefore to provide an ongoing emergency ways and means, in other words a continuing financial infrastructure that could be activated automatically when such disasters occur.

But it is important to understand the essential ethos and universal concept behind these emergency procedures in order to also understand the funding commitment and the actual emergency field work that ensues.

The Fund defines culture as “a creative expression” of all human societies as well as essential “social interaction.” In terms of great art and architecture, these “pillars” of human endeavour also represent our collective identity as a species, and when disaster occurs the symbolic importance of this artistic heritage takes on an even greater importance because culture is “hope and pride” and the foundation on which communities reconstruct their lives. One precedent for the CER program occurred in 1966 when the Arno river overflowed its banks and flooded museums, churches, and libraries in Florence. Inherent in that community of ordinary citizens, however, was an immediate sense of urgency, need, and desire to act. Therefore thousands of volunteers came to the aid of the treasures of their city.

Since the inception of the CER program, emergency relief has been provided to many cultural institutions in such places as Iraq, Iran, Morocco, Palestine, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Lebanon. The Board of Directors of the Prince Claus Fund has allocated €100,000 per year to such emergency projects until the end of 2011. However, the Fund also is instrumental in raising additional resources for CER by approaching governments, non-governmental organizations, companies and individuals, such as its initial partners: the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the (Dutch) National Postcode Lottery, and even The Centre Céramique of the Municipality of Maastricht, an artistic institution that has taken to heart its responsibility to heritage sites anywhere in the world. The Centre has pledged €10,000 for an emergency response action for a library that is threatened or has been damaged. As an example also of local initiative both artistically and globally, The Centre Céramique is a cultural institution that encourages the people of Maastricht (as well as visitors to this Roman and Medieval town, which was a principal marketplace on the trade route at the heart of the Carolingian Empire) to put art and culture in a historical perspective. As we well know, art and culture travel well, especially along trade routes. That perspective on the role and nature of art in human civilization of course looks back in time as well as to the future; but it also assesses the contemporary importance of all culture to human society. On its own initiative, the Centre has participated in a form of emergency response by helping to establish a library in Rama, Nicaragua. The city of Maastricht also has long-established ties with this Latin American town and in the past has provided other forms of assistance.

To see other Prince Claus Fund partners click here .

The first steps

In any emergency response initiative, good will and specialized skills are of course essential; but so too is financial aid. And it is initially this financial aid that helps stabilize the situation, when a heritage site is damaged by preventing further damage and by funding the initial, basic repairs in order to achieve long-term restoration goals.

However, in his speech to us Prince Constantijn also emphasized that the Cultural Emergency Response program “operates alongside funds and organizations that tackle direct humanitarian needs. It is not about saving objects rather than people, but about saving both. Thus it is not an “either/or” situation but an “and/and” situation.”

The importance of the infrastructure that is inherent in the CER is the key to rapid response but also the kind of organizational networks that can be activated quickly. Through its intricate global contacts, it learns of cultural disasters and strives to provide emergency relief within a minimum of six months. Because the CER has strong partnerships with other international organizations, it is able therefore, through its critical rescue operations and networks, to integrate with equally strong local networks and partners; and this is a critical strategic element because it is the local cultural experts who know best the actual physical context in which restoration and relief need to occur. They also know what their local communities need most.

Rebuilding stricken communities is of course always a daunting task, but it is not a one-dimensional endeavour. When international agencies go to the assistance of communities that have experienced major disasters, basic humanitarian relief in terms of the necessities of life are of course crucial; but the funds that are injected into the community have an exponential effect as well. Relief and restoration funds provide long-term projects that also involve the rebuilding of key social institutions that in many cases are core community-based facilities. This is especially true of religious institutions that provide the community with many practical services as well as spiritual needs. And the hope and renewed sense of identity that can re-emerge in a community that has suffered great loss has a very real effect on the general well-being of the people.

As Prince Constantijn also pointed out, cultural institutions are the community’s link with the past and its collective memory. When you rebuild a community you also rebuild its cultural institutions and consequently the “social fabric” of the community. When for example a library is seriously damaged, as was the Library of the Central University in Baghdad, a significant component of a community’s educational system is also damaged. Students cannot pursue their studies. Or when the CER helped rebuild a batik centre in Imogiri in South Central Java, it was also rebuilding a workplace for artists as well as their principal marketplace. Cultural Emergency Response therefore is interconnected with the social and economic recovery of a community.

The example of Omara Khan Massoudi

A winner of the Prince Claus Award in 2004, Omara Khan Massoudi is a man who is credited, along with his devoted staff, with preserving some of the world’s greatest artistic treasures. In appearance, he is an ordinary-looking and modest man, but when he spoke to us in Maastricht he demonstrated the quiet courage and common sense that were, I suspect, the principal character strengths and skills that got him through a personal and cultural ordeal.

A steadfast supporter and defender of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage, Mr. Massoudi was working at the National Museum of Afghanistan on the outskirts of Kabul. The treasures in this museum are without a doubt representative of human culture that spans time and space. Because of its location as a crossroads of the ancient trade routes between Asia, India, Africa, and Europe, Afghanistan was also the recipient for centuries of timeless treasures and these were preserved in the national museum. However, the wars that have raged in Afghanistan and its consequent bombings, breakdown of social order, and looting were an unparalleled threat to these treasures in their exposed and unprotected “home” outside Kabul.

By inspiring other members of the museum staff to follow his lead and to assist him, Mr. Massoudi carried out ongoing evasive action over a number of the most turbulent years in Afghanistan in order to safeguard whatever treasures in the museum he could and also to assess and record existing damage. (Some of the museums outstanding sculptures were deliberately destroyed by the Taliban, and then the world learned of the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in March 2001.) He and his staff took extraordinary risks to preserve the most important items by secretly removing some of them to safe places while disguising others. As a result of Omar’s dedication, personal sacrifice (at one point he survived by selling potatoes in the streets of Kabul) and deep awareness of the importance of culture, he was directly responsible for saving a large proportion of what remains of the museum’s unique collections.

And following my visit to TEFAF and Maastricht, I was once again privileged; this time to see what Omara Khan Massoudi had preserved in a very special exhibit called Hidden Afghanistan at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.

For more information on the Prince Claus Fund and Cultural Emergency Response, click here.

For more information on The European Fine Arts Fair (TEFAF) click here.

For more information on Maastricht click here.

“Art is a human activity having for its purpose the transmission to others of the highest and best feelings to which men have risen.” – Tolstoy

“Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.” – George Bernard Shaw