Rationalist Route II - 04. Casa Mulet I

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Routes · Subcategory: Rationalism route · Year: 1930 · Authors: Miguel Martín-Fernández de la Torre

This six-dwelling building designed by Miguel Martín Fernández de la Torre between 1927 and 1928 for the owner José Juan Mulet is a good example of the early concerns of the Canarian architect in modernising his rationalist typology ideas. 

Located on a corner, right in Ciudad Jardín, it is a symmetrical composition, heavily influenced by the new ideas of the Viennese school. Typical elements used in the best avant-garde architecture being developed in Central Europe can be seen: metal carpentry corner windows, tubular railings as enclosure, as well as a particular plastered base with picón (volcanic gravel) finish; elements which from now on would become common in Miguel Martín’s works.

The process of formal transformation of the Gran Canarian technician is also appreciated in the stepped-back elevation of the floors. At the junction of both planes, on the corner, the upper floor is occupied by a large balcony terrace.

The work was completed in 1930 and currently houses the headquarters of the Red Cross in the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

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