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‘Albergues de carretera’ (Highway inns): a key step in the evolution of Spanish tourism and modernist architecture

2010; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 2; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/17551821003777832

1755-1838

Concepción Diez-Pastor Iribas,

Archaeological and Historical Studies

Abstract The early historical trajectory of tourism in Spain is distinctive, with two key points of transition in this respect as in others: the loss of the Colonies (1898); and the Civil War (1936–1939) followed by the Franco dictatorship. During the intervening years, some intellectuals understood the benefits of better connections with Europe, displaying a decades-lasting effort to persuade governments to invest in tourism development, and providing them with effective plans. As their vision began to be realised, Spain gained infrastructures for further economic development, and a new income source. The examination of this theme necessarily brings together Tourism History and Architecture, which, at the dawn of Spanish tourism in the early twentieth-century, were so closely related that their interconnections cannot be ignored.Footnote1 This article focuses particularly on the relationship between tourism planning and Modernist Architecture,Footnote2 through the work of the outstanding '1925 Generation' modernist architects Carlos Arniches and Martín Domínguez and their promotion of new highway hostelries for motorists, the 'Albergues de carretera'. Keywords: tourism and architecturelandscape and environment'1925 Generation'ArnichesWinthuysenarchitecturecultural landscapesmodernitybuilt environment Acknowledgements All the documents used here belong to their copyright holders, who have kindly allowed their reproduction for scientific purposes. Thanks to the usage permission given by the Fondation Le Corbusier-Paris (FLC) and the Archivo General de la Administración-Alcalá (AGA), for the pictures numbered as Figures 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, here enclosed, as much as for the documents hereby cited and referenced as belonging to it: AGA (3) 42.02/AGA (3) 49.02/AGA (3) 25.01. All other pictures are by the author, who allows their reproduction within this article. The author acknowledges Professor John K. Walton. Notes 1. In 1993 a postgraduate programme was established by the Architects' Association of Majorca (COAIB) under the title 'Architecture and Tourism', in association with which many activities have taken place ever since. The Iberian DoCoMoMo (Documentation and Conservation of Modern Movement), a leading architectural organisation which aims to preserve the best Modernist architectural works of the twentieth century, has dedicated several events to this issue. The first Doctoral Thesis including references to the architectural issue as related to Tourism dates from 2003 (Diez-Pastor, Citation2003a). 2. With due respect to studies like those by Pellejero (Citation2002a), González Morales (Citation2003) and Moreno (Citation2005). It tends to a 'critical comparison of approaches' as defined by Walton (Citation2005), p. 2. 3. See La Esfera ( Citation1930 ), no. 835 January, no. 839 February, no. 876 October; El Sol ( Citation1930, March) to cite two examples from opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. 4. All data belongs to the Marqués de la Vega-Inclán's archive, Romantic Museum, Madrid. The aristocrats Marqués de la Vega-Inclán, Count of La Cimera and some other renowned Romantics took many notes in which later plans and strategies were founded. It is worth mentioning that these were not the same aristocrats who later led the 'Patronato', which was presided over by the II Count of Güell from 1929 to 1931, with the Marqués of Desio as Secretary General and the Marqués of Moret as General Administrator and later Vicedelegate of the 'Albergues'. 5. As defined by El Sol, ( Citation1930 ). Other authors agree with this opinion (Diez-Pastor, Citation2003a, p. 243, 2003b, p. 77, 2005, p. 123). 6. From the 'Estudio acerca de las características generales que deben reunir los hoteles de turismo convenientes en España', by architect Luis Peypoch for the 'National Company', 1926. (AGA (3) 49.02) ['Study on the general requirements appropriate for all tourist hotels in Spain'.] The elements of rhetorical hyperbole are characteristic of the time. 7. The other 11 were: Aranda de Duero; – highway Madrid-Burgos; – Almazán – highway Madrid-Soria; – Medinaceli – highway Madrid-Zaragoza; – Triste – highway Zaragoza-France; – Quintanar – highway Madrid-Albacete; – Bailén – highway Madrid-Córdoba; – Antequera – highway Madrid-Malaga; – Benicarló – highway Valencia-Barcelona; – Lorca – highway Murcia-Puerto Lumbreras; – La Bañeza – highway Madrid-La Coruña; – and Puebla de Sanabria – highway Madrid-Vigo. (AGA (3) 49.02) The one in Triste was never started. 8. Fernando Colomo's film Los años bárbaros (Citation1998) was partly filmed there, reaping the advantages of its privileged location.