From the Office Skyscraper to the Residential Tower: The Case of the Vistamar Tower in Alicante, 1962–1965

Abstract

In 1959, Guardiola Gaya (1927–2005) arrived in Alicante from the Perpiñá studio and designed two touristic development projects. The enclave of La Albufereta is projected with models, due to the rugged relief, whose epicenter is the Vistamar tower (1962–65). It is probably the first freestanding residential skyscraper in Spain, close to 100 m thanks to a steel structure, and offering panoramic views over the horizon. This volume, with its abstract lenticular plan geometry, presents achievements typical of the modern movement: the isolated prism as a metaphor of a typical ship, the functional asymmetry, the prolonged living room opening onto the terraces, as well as its austere materiality. Many of these finds are reinterpretations of the traditions of the Mediterranean habitat. Of special interest are the connections that this landmark establishes with the cultured architecture disseminated in the mass media, in particular, with the Pirelli tower (1952–61, Milan) by Ponti’s studio that extends its influence to the Banco Atlántico (1965–67, Barcelona) from the Mitjans studio. These towers can be read as ‘functional monuments’ of the European metropolises. This text explores the transition from the office skyscraper to the residential tower in this case with this slender model.