José Ramón Hernández Correa Confesses: Torres Blancas Over BBVA
In a personal essay featured on Veredes, architect José Ramón Hernández Correa reveals his inclination towards Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza's Torres Blancas (1968) rather than the Banco de Bilbao (BBVA) tower in Madrid. Despite acknowledging that critics often regard the BBVA as the better design, he feels a deep emotional connection to Torres Blancas, which he studied at ETSAM from 1978 to 1981. He appreciates its intricate baroque style and diverse floor layouts, contrasting it with the BBVA's stark simplicity. Influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's Price Tower, Torres Blancas stands apart, while the BBVA reflects Mies van der Rohe's Seagram Building. Hernández Correa also recounts Oiza's pride in his creation and his disappointment at missing an open house at the BBVA circa 1998.
Key facts
- José Ramón Hernández Correa wrote a personal essay on Veredes comparing Torres Blancas and Banco de Bilbao (BBVA) by Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza.
- He confesses preferring Torres Blancas despite acknowledging BBVA is architecturally superior.
- He studied architecture at ETSAM from 1978 to 1981 and observed the BBVA being built daily.
- Torres Blancas was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's Price Tower; BBVA by Mies van der Rohe's Seagram Building.
- Oiza described Torres Blancas' structural cores as a bundle of asparagus; engineer Carlos Fernández Casado said it resists wind because it is short.
- Hernández Correa regrets missing an open house at BBVA led by Oiza around 1998.
- Critic Juan Daniel Fullaondo admired the BBVA's west facade with hanging 'sunglasses' for sun protection.
- A floor plan of Torres Blancas includes a piano keyboard with reversed scale, similar to Luis Gutiérrez Soto's Casablanca.
Entities
Artists
- José Ramón Hernández Correa
- Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
- Carlos Fernández Casado
- Juan Daniel Fullaondo
- Luis Gutiérrez Soto
- Juan Enrique Álvarez
Institutions
- ETSAM
- Veredes
- Torres Blancas
- Banco de Bilbao (BBVA)
- Price Tower
- Seagram Building
- Museo de Ciencias Naturales
Locations
- Madrid
- Spain
- Bartlesville
- Oklahoma
- United States
- New York
- Paseo de la Castellana
- María de Molina
- Francisco Silvela
Sources
- Veredes —