Spain’s Modernist Architecture During the Franco Years

Streets of Madrid

Photo by Jack Gisel on Unsplash

Mark Paskewitz is a longtime National Institute of Clinical Research, Inc., executive who has guided clinical development efforts for groundbreaking drugs. An avid follower of current events, Mark Paskewitz regularly reads up on news of Spain in the country’s original language. 

A recent article in the Guardian highlighted the persistent legacy of Spain’s longtime dictator Francisco Franco in the country’s contemporary culture. One of the unique aspect of the regime (which was tragic to many in other respects) was its tolerance of a wide variety of architecture. 

In addition to his imperialist ambitions, Franco considered himself an artist and embraced modernism in architecture. The striking 1949 creation of the Basilica at Arantzazu in the Basque Country represented a collaboration between architect Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza and sculptor Jorge Oteiza. The religious structure broke radically from papal design traditions, to the point where it was seen as a snub of Rome.

Much of the country’s architecture looked outward as fascist Spain entered a period of strategic alliance with the United States. Building styles were influenced by the technocratic Opus Dei, a lay Catholic organization, and Miguel Fisac’s Pagoda in the suburbs of Madrid is a striking example of the country’s full turn toward modernism. Demolished in 1999, the building combined raw concrete and horizontal windows in an assemblage of stacked triangular shapes, evoking the Asian pagoda. Another noteworthy concrete creation of the era was de Oiza’s Torres Blancas building, which had the visual effect of odd geometric mushrooms.

Spain Drives Eurozone Growth in First Quarter

Streets of Spain
Photo by M. R. on Unsplash

Clinical research executive Mark Paskewitz has an interest in international affairs. By reading news sources based in Europe, Mark Paskewitz stays informed on current events in the French- and Spanish-speaking world.

For the past five years, the Spanish economy has grown steadily. In early 2019, the southern European nation led the Eurozone in growth, with a rate of 2.5 percent.

Some drivers of the Spanish economy include tourism and green energy infrastructure. Tourism made up nearly 15 percent of Spain’s gross domestic product, and the sector is expected to grow by 2.8 percent this year.

Further, the government has pledged nearly 50 billion euros into the green energy sector in an attempt to reach carbon neutrality within 30 years. Spain also sold more than 120 billion euros in bonds to Japanese investors. While this remarkable growth helped add more than 300,000 jobs, Spain still struggles with a high unemployment rate, which hovers at 14 percent.