Some cool 1920s buildings

In my barrio, La Latina, a lot of the edificios are around 300 years old. But if you walk north about 15-20 minutes you can find a number of striking early 20th-century buildings.

These two on Gran Via make a nice pair. The one on the left is the Cine Callao, erected by Luis Gutierrez Soto in 1925. It was closed for several months because of the virus but started showing movies again two months ago. Its asymmetry and vertical "ribbons" add a lot of interest, I think. It's just pleasant to look at.

The aggressive one on the right is the Edificio Carrion (Capitol Building) by Erich Mendelsohn. It's got that sleek, avant-garde look that characterized German Expressionism, and I have to believe that Madrilenos hated it at first, just as Parisians hated the Tour Eiffel and Tucsonans hated the Curving Arcades, etc.  It's funny (and sad) how smart, creative artists and architects challenge us, we push back ―momentarily ― and eventually come to love our surroundings. I wonder how many notes of apology were sent to Gustave Eiffel and Athena Tacha and Erich Mendelsohn. A couple of months ago I had a book shipped to me from Duesseldorf containing photos of Madrid by the German photographer Gerhard Hagen, and I have to credit it for pointing me to this spot.

Down the road aways is the Circulo de Bellas Artes, which is ... I dunno, some kind of "cultural organization" that shows movies and holds art exhibits and "builds community." Maybe it's like the Pompidou Center in Paris. I hate amorphous "missions" like this. Be one thing, please. Anyway, she's a knockout. A strong American Art Deco influence, wouldn't you say? When I see this building and the nearby Edificio Telefonica (been searching through my camera but can't find it), I feel like I'm in downtown L.A., which also came of age around the same time.

And the huevos on these guys for building during such a precarious time. 1920s Spain was a real shit-show. A military dictatorship was in charge ― not Franco, the earlier guy, Gen. Rivera ― and the monarchy was toppled, followed by a brief liberalization under the Second Republic. And then the long, long dark time.

I honestly believe that's why today's Spaniards party all night.