Guastavino: The Documentary
The Valencian documentary company Endora’s documentary about the legendary Valencian architect and builder Rafael Gustavino, has won the Golden Dolphin Award at Cannes, for a work with filming taking place in Valencia, Villareal, Barcelona, Boston and New York.
The documentary received its premiere in March 2016 at the ABC Park cinema complex.
New York City re-examined the extraordinary contribution of Valencian architects Rafael Guastavino, Sr. (1842-1908), and his son, Rafael Jr. (1872-1950), in an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York in 2014.
Throughout the five boroughs of the city there are more than 200 long-overlooked marvels of engineering and architectural beauty—the interlocking tile vaults built by the Guastavinos, who immigrated to the USA from their hometown of Godella, Valencia.
The system of structural tile vaults developed by the Guastavinos—lightweight, fireproof, low-maintenance, and capable of supporting significant loads—was used by leading architects of the day, including McKim, Mead & White and Carrere & Hastings. Ellis Island’s Registry Room, Carnegie Hall, the Bronx Zoo’s Elephant House, and Grand Central Terminal all contain Guastavino vaults.
Palaces for the People: Guastavino and the Art of Structural Tile is a major exhibition exploring the innovations the Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company (1889-1962) brought to the science and art of building. It was originally organized by MIT’s John Ochsendorf, who is a MacArthur Fellow; it is substantially expanded now to include some 20 key Guastavino spaces in the five boroughs.
There is also a project in hand to uncover some of the lesser known Guastavino projects by sending in photos to the Museum’s website.
See the Valencia International article about Guastavino here:
http://valencia-international.com/rafael-guastavino/
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