We speak about others, about how insoleil by Lopez Rey –whom I would meet Italy the most capable generation did, later-), he speaks to me of Lombardi, the while the ones that came later shel-urban planner. Thenthere’s la Barra (with tered in teaching. About how he camethe catenary bridge), and, beyond, to Barcelona for his PhD with Helio Piñón the Balneario Jose Ignacio, with hous- because he could tell there was some- es by the very Franco Comerci, and by thing more… Franco is friends with Josep Giger&Guyer. Going to Punta del Este, Farradno, as he is with Abalos and Juan in Soca, there is Bonet Castellana’s Ca- Herreros. He speaks of Solano Benítez pilla Susana, and in La Atlántida, Eladio andhis very interesting works, works that Dieste’s Iglesia del Cristo Obrero. A real however were possible thanks to a lous- appetizer. I’ll need to pick. ily paid workforce whose workers had a bad or non-existent healthcare. And He gives me several guides on Montevi- he adds, Europeans, sometimes, wantdeo’s architecture, and the blueprint of a to see in Latin America the singularity book on modern architecture in Pocitos, of designs executed with few resources POCITOS MOERNO, a work they are do- and are at risk of mistaking their view ing as part of an investigation in FADU’s with the tourist’s look for the typical, environment, the faculty of architecture. as if with a curious landscape, instead We speak of the Architecture from what of having a richer and more adjustedhe calls the Second Generation. We exit, view of the complexity of a constantly and on our way he shows me the works by changing and never homogeneous real-García Pardo (who more than once put ity between the different countries, and to risk his and his family’s state to execute even the same country, enough to look his buildings), he tells me about Sichero, at the wide Brazil. And Solano Benítez is whom he calls more formalist in his de- sometimes seen by Europeans just as the signs, as opposed to García Pardo, who maker of the typicalness, not taking into was more conceptual (and I don’t know account what’s interesting in his oper- why his attitude reminds me of Gutierrez ations and his contradictions, like often Soto). The Panamericano Building, on our happens to architects. He speaks of the way, is one of his best works. He was more Escola de Cidade in Sao Paulo, aboutskilled than GarcíaPardo and was more Marta Moreira and Milton Braga’s work fortunate in his job, since both looked for –MMBB- (collaborators of Paulo M da Ro- money for their designs, He earned a lot, cha). We talk about the national figure he says. He speaks of Fresnedo (he is part as well,Is there no one else besides Elad- of the team who designed the UN’s NYC io Dieste?, he says. I guess Uruguayan ar- Office, he designed the US embassy in chitects are in the same situation that us the Paseo, and the Hipódromo de Porto with Gaudí, there is life beyond that. Alegre) and of FADU’s building, an eight minute walk from the hotel (I just need to I ask for and he writes down a list of take Boulevard Artigas and then Boule- things to see in Punta del Este… In Mal- vard España). We talk about Vilamajó, donado, IMM (Intendencia Municipalwho designed the Engineering Faculty, de Maldonado)… Punta Ballena is where with its superimposed bodies with the Bonet Castellana’s urbanization is locat- sole goal of casting shades, as would ed (plots are larger there, 2000 m2, par- happen in his house, and about Gusta- titioned in smaller segments). He tells me vo Scheps, the Faculty’s dean, who de- of La Brava (Sea Side) and La Mansa,signed two very beautiful buildings in the where there are two buildings by Raúl back. We pass by the Museum of Mod- Sichero. He speaks of the various zones, ern Art, by Clorindo Testa, peaking from the apartment buildings in the back (in behind a delightful garden designed by Roosevelt Av. There are designs by Estu- Leandro Silva Delgado and the archi- dio 5, a building with a wooden brise- tect Fernando Fabiano that I would see t1918