Last Thursday, 3rd February, we were enthralled by Peter Atkinson’s talk about the life and buildings of Antoni Gaudi, the non-conformist Catalan modernism architect. Gaudi was born in Reus, near Tarragona, in 1852 and when he graduated from the Barcelona School of Architecture in 1878 his Professor asked the question “Genius or Mad Man”, as he was unwilling to comply with the architectural standards of the time. His principle objections were to the adoption of ‘flying buttresses’, to provide structural support, and a reliance on gothic and circular arches, arguing that ‘parabolic arches’, the shape of a hanging chain necklace, gave an opportunity for more slender structures. He was also not keen on the standard form of design presentation, plans/elevations/sections, and preferred 3D drawing formats and constant changes as works progressed.
The Ladies at Lunch group kick started the New Year off with a visit to the El Quijote restaurant in Orba, on Tuesday, 18th January 2022.
On Thursday13th January the Vall del Pop U3A held their first General Assembly for 2022 with a good turn-out of members keen to renew their Association membership and to learn about the trips and events planned for the first part of the year. After the official business the members relaxed to hear a talk, by Vernon Pearce, on his experiences as a Radio Presenter, not a DJ although music does form a part of the presentations.