One Last Chalet for 2009

I ended 2008 with a chalet and now I'm doing the same in 2009. This one was near Parque Sarmiento.

Tu Sos

Uruguayan Spanish is very similar to that of Buenos Aires such that both are known as Rio Platense. There are some differences, however, like in this graffiti above that starts "Tu sos...". It's common in Uruguay to conjugate with the voseo but use 'tu' as the article. You linguistic geeks out there can read more on Wikipedia.

Punta del Este Architecture

Punta del Este is where Argentina's elite goes in the summer to tan and party. Going there in off-season, the place seemed laid back and not super-exclusive as it was filled with a lot of locals enjoying a brisk Sunday in spring. I love the whimsy of the architecture in beach towns [see also my Mar del Plata posts].

Feliz Navidad 2009

A modest Christmas decoration inside the bus station in Montevideo.

Montevideo - Architecture & Ataque de Panico

The building on the left is the tower of Palacio Salvo, Montevideo's best known landmark, designed by Italian architect Mario Palanti who also designed Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires. On the right is one of the many fantastic art deco structures in the financial district next to the Ciudad Vieja.

You can see a lot of Montevideo's sights and architecture get destroyed in the home made alien invasion short film that's become a YouTube sensation, Ataque de Panico. Made for just $400 this short film has lead to the director signing a million dollar deal to direct a film in Hollywood.

Los Días Más Felices Que Puedas Tú Vivir

This might be my all-time favorite pintada politica. It says, the happiest days were, are and will be Peronist. I took this out walking around Saavedra, along Avenida Constituyentes.

The title of the post is a line from the song "Tengo" by 1960s rock-star Sandro and captures, I think, a bit of the nostalgia inherent in the message painted on this wall.

Montevideo - Rambla at Sunset

Montevideo sits on a peninsula which just out into the Rio de la plata. Surrounding the city is a long beachfront promenade known as the Rambla. Unlike Buenos Aires which famously turns its back on the river, Montevideo takes full advantage of its position on the water. The Rambla fills up with fishermen, strollers, and couples kissing.

Montevideo - Plaza Independencia

Montevideo is lovely if a little boring. It's like Buenos Aires but 1/10th the size with less crime, less craziness, less neurosis. It also has a coastline, the Rambla, which is beautiful. The photo above is from Plaza Independencia, the main square downtown.

Spanglish for the Argentimes

Spanglish Exchange is a clever concept. Tourists and locals meet up at a bar several times a week to chat, first in English, then in Spanish. The twist is that it's like speed dating. You have to change partners every ten minutes. The story in the Argentimes, for which I shot these photos, explains it in more detail.


Maya May, founder of Spanglish Exchange.

Torre Dorrego - The Death Star

Built between 1969 and 1971, Torre Dorrego ranks with the Biblioteca Nacional as the city's ugliest building. Despite having a certain cariño for brutalist architecture, this 30-story arc-shaped building positively shimmers with evil. That the building, which is way, way, beyond any sort of zoning norms for area [along Avenida Dorrego, which divides Palermo and Belgrano] was a project of a military government should come as no surprise. I've even heard that Bignone lives in one of the sections.

A few months back I had the pleasure of lunching with Jed over at LandingPadBA.com who coincidentally lives in the building [I still owe you lunch!]. Generously he let me up to the roof to take these following pictures. Enjoy!

The best part about living in a hideous concrete monstrosity? The views!

More pics on Skyscraper City.

Super Chalet in Flores

I recently redesigned my personal website, www.ThomasLockeHobbs.com to feature a lot of the medium and large format work I've been making in the last year. The photo above is a scan of a medium format negative. This particular house, the mother of all Chalets, is located in Flores near Nazca and Rivadavia.

Libertador Lobby

I can and probably will make a whole series of just plants in apartment building lobbies here in Buenos Aires. They all use the same plants in an endlessly repeating cycle of small variations. There will even be a sub-typology of plants growing up against the lobby windows.

Parque Palermo, behind the Hipodromo

While less accessible than the area around the Rosedal, the plazas on the far side of the Hipodromo are lovely and often much quieter. I'm still blown away by the intense green of the spring foliage, especially on cloudy days.

Tipa Flowers in Gutter

The title sounds very low but the carpet of tipa blossoms currently carpeting the city's sidewalks is beautiful.

Tipas in Palermo Chico

Tipas are so ugly when they lose their leaves. They're twisted, mangly and appear rotted and dead. Their tendency to bloom late in spring adds to the impression of decay. When the leaves finally come out, however, the green is spectacular. I can't wait for their yellow flowers in a week or two. See also, Tipas in Spring, Tipas in Bloom, and Tipas in Plaza San Martin.

Las Cañitas at Night

Las Cañitas and Palermo at night at a friend's place on the 24th floor. The photo is a 30 second exposure with my SLR. I rested the camera on top of an English dictionary balanced on the window's ledge. I showed the resulting photo to one of the guests and they said the picture didn't look like what you see with your eye. I replied that no, it does not.