Post 10: Research

The photograph I chose, Barcelona Nights, was taken this year on may 26th. It is located in Barcelona, Spain. Sense I felt that the center of attention in the photo was the two buildings, it is important to find out alittle more about the purpose and history of them. The two tall buildings in the center of the photo are the Hotel Arts, and the Torre Mapfre. Both are located just across the street from the Mol de Xaloc Marina. The torre Mapfre is known as one of the cities most famous buildings. It is 154 meters in height (40 stories), has a facade composed of granite and stainless steel, and includes a helipad on the roof. The Torre Mapfre is used mostly for commercial purposes, however, it also includes an observation platform ans well as several bars at ground level. Right next to it, is the Hotel Arts which is located in the Marina Village in Barcelona. It is also 154 meters in height but its design is much more comprised of aluminum. As the name implies, its main use is a hotel, but also includes a fitness center, casino, shops and a restaurant. When looking at the function of these two buildings, one may assume that they have no real relationship to each other, but If one looks at the fact that they are the exact same height and located right across the street from each other, it can be inferred that the architects intended for the buildings to share some sort of relationship to each other. Both buildings are of great importance to the city of Barcelona, one for its businesses and the other for tourism. Going back to the photograph, The fact that these two buildings seem to be of top importance of the visual hierarchy, possibly reflects the real life importance of the structures to Barcelona, or at least the value of them in the eyes of the photographer. The lighting in the photo forms a triangle and directs some attention to the top of the buildings, this may be draw attention to the matching heights of the buildings. Since the Hotel Arts includes restaurants and a casino, it makes sense that this area in general would often be a very popular place at night time, matching with the title of the photo. The contrast of light in the photo may be trying to represent that at night, attention is drawn from the dark area, the shore, and towards these to buildings in the center of the triangle of light.