Drawings of the Guastavino Company: innovation and promotion

Abstract

John Ochsendorf, in his book, Guastavino Vaulting, says that the patents of this valencian builder, settled in the United States during the last decades of the XIX century, are not original contributions. Although some builders may have been using such a system in Spain at the time, "Guastavino appears to have been the first to treat it as a modern, standardized system, using new materials and rigorously detailing the construction methods" (Ochsendorf 2010, 155). The father and son devoted significant time to develop technical and technological innovations. They achieved an advantageous position in the market due to their exclusivity in the construction of vaults in the late nineteenth century. And they achieved a great prestige among the leading architects, belonging to the American Renaissance, in the early twentieth century. The timbrel vault, first seemed to be just a light constructive solution, economic, and fire resistant. Then it became a hallmark, appreciated for its aesthetic qualities and its image of consistency and durability. There is a large bibliography about the achievements of Guastavino"s Company, that analyzes them in constructive, structural and even commercial terms. However it is important not to forget that many of the buildings, in which Guastavino"s vaults were included, have been characterized by the configuration of the space that they provide (Collins 2001). It is a combination of efficient construction, structural challenge and a spectacular image. Drawings of calculation, layout and detail of these vaults show clearly their rules of construction and include graphics that explain the performance of its structure. They try to show an image of transparency and honesty in construction. Both, drawings of patents and promotional posters fulfill that task, conveying sincerity. The commercial skills of Rafael Guastavino Jr. complement his father"s manner of working, implementing structural and acoustic improvements, without losing his technical rigor. The aim of this paper is to study several drawings published by the Guastavino Company, analyzing them from the graphic and architectural point of view. For this we turn to the sources of the original publications. We will study the graphic context, so we can understand the visual impact that the images sought to produce, both to potential customers as well as the general public.