The facade as a threshold: from organicism and utopia to evocation in Torres Blancas

Abstract

This article elaborates a phenomenological approach to Torres Blancas, a residential building in Madrid designed by Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oíza, between 1961 and 1964, and built between 1964 and 1968. By reviewing primary bibliographic sources and archives (including specialized periodical publications and iconography), as well as the elaboration of interviews and in situ analysis, this research reveals a process marked by continuous changes, and influenced by Oíza’s workflow, his academic experience, and above all by his readings and reflections on the field of Phenomenology. The approach starts from the reexamination of the organic references and utopian used by Oíza (from F. L. Wright and Le Corbusier, respectively) to gradually delve into the evocative character of Torres Blancas and the architectural strategies devised for this purpose by the architect, always revolving around the definition of its facade and incorporating the concept of “threshold” as a mediator (both physical and symbolic) between exterior and interior.