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Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Enferma...otra vez: Sick...again

I woke up sick this morning but pulled myself together to go to sketching class. It was the COLDEST day we've had so far in Barcelona...and the longest outdoor-time, too! Figures...

We walked through Gracia, saw one of the oldest remaining farmhouses tucked into the dense city that grew up all around it...then saw one of the first Gaudi buildings for a tile-maker of the city, then Plazas, as per usual. One of them was plaza de Rebellion where people used to gather to protest and such, and Placa Rius i Taulet, which I ended up sketching. It has a bell tower and acted as a town meeting space. Monica and I were so cold--the pavement and marble were sucking out all of our heat--so we just hit up a cafe and sketched from there while we drank some Cafe con Leche.

We all got back together and visited a really cool library with a glass platform on one of the upper levels, and a curved facade that bubbled out over the sidewalk. From there we continued our walk to a row of buildings made in the modernista era with awesome facade-work very much like stucco, but patterned across the entire building. I can't explain and sadly I was so cold that I didn't remove the camera from my pocket for fear that I might freeze in the process. Perhaps I can steal pictures from other people later on when I create a slideshow or something...otherwise you'll just have to come visit and see for yourselves!
After all of our work on the model, it was scrapped today and we are now re-working the topo to be representative instead of literal. We didn't finish the topo I proposed, and after all of the hell we went through it's sad to see it go to waste, but I think that this will be better for the group's sanity and efficiency-wise it makes sense. So...Here is a pic of the old topo...I'll be sure to update when the new one is completed tomorrow or something. We got an extension for the model until after we return from the field trip, but the sooner it is out of the way, the better. I guess it's a good thing I enjoy model-making!
After studio, it was firm-visit-time, except today we went to the gym (across from the hostel Bob and I stayed at on C/St. Pau) that was designed by a friend of Eugenia in the University that won a competition. Part of the building was originally a factory and had to be re-finished and incorporated into the new part of the building, which made it really interesting. There were major efforts made to maintain many aspects of the industrial feeling of the spaces.
BECAUSE WHO DOESN'T CARRY THEIR MATTRESS HOME FROM THE STORE?
A NICE WINDOW DETAIL IN THE EXTERIOR OF THE OLD FACTORY

BEN, JOEL, TOM, EUGENIA, BOB-discussion at the rear of the bldg.

MONICA SHOWING OFF OUR POOL-SIDE SHOES (worn to keep the areas hygenic)
THE SPA-ZONE: SNOW! This is the first snow I've seen in nearly a year, if not more...it is the 2nd step in the process...the 1st is the sauna. The snow is meant to be smoothed over the hot skin to tighten, tone, and heal. I especially like the effects of the color!
THE SPA ZONE: Step 3, a lower body jet-stream massage treatment! Push a button and the water jets out to massage your legs--apparently this encourages blood flow!


THE OLD FACTORY: re-finished interior with treadmills, free weights, and other equip