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557:: it is 100 ft (30 m) in diameter and 160 feet (49 m) high. This dome was intended to be a temporary structure, to be replaced by a high central tower. In 2009 this "temporary" fix celebrated the 100th anniversary of its construction. Guastavino received this contract due to the much lower price he could quote because his system served as its own scaffolding. This was an extreme test of his system, however. The masons had to work from above, each day adding a few rows of tiles, and standing on the previous day's work to make progress. At the edges, many layers of tile were laid, and the dome thins as it rises toward the center.
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336:, Guastavino was identified as the contractor in charge of "fireproof construction" of the luxury apartment building, which was completed in 1884. Though not specified, the work may very well have included the groined vault entries on the south side on West 72nd Street, and the north side on West 73rd Street, as well as the construction of the subterranean basement, and the 3-foot thick arched floors between the basement and attic levels.
25:
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347:(1889), which increased his reputation with every major architect on the East Coast. His published drawings of interior decoration of the Spanish Renaissance style caught the eye of an architect, who asked him to submit a design for the planned New York Progress Club building. After forming a partnership with William Blodgett, Guastavino eventually was offered a construction position in 1890 with
542:. In 1917 the younger Rafael Guastavino III was commissioned to rebuild the ceiling of the Ellis Island Great Hall. The Guastavinos set 28,258 tiles into a self-supporting interlocking 56-foot (17 m)-high ceiling grid so durable and strong that during the restoration project of the 1980s only seventeen of those tiles had to be replaced.
618:
Guastavino began a relationship with
Francesca Ramirez, who was much younger than he was, and he pretended Francesca was his daughter until they moved to North Carolina in the early 1890s. They married in 1894, when Guastavino was 51 and she was 33. At that time, he tried searching for his ex-wife
614:
Paulina Roig, after which Pilar left her husband, later moving to
Argentina. It is believed Paulina was the mother of Guastavino's fourth son Rafael Jr., and the three, along with the two previous daughters she had, moved to New York City together in 1881. However, Paulina and her two daughters
527:. The station, although elegant, was never convenient or popular, as it was superseded by nearby stops with connections to Brooklyn. After the city closed it in 1945 because needed upgrades were too expensive, it became a legendary abandoned Manhattan underground relic. Subway buffs and
392:
Guastavino and his son also developed twenty-four products that were awarded patents. Their company, Guastavino
Fireproof Construction Company, run by the father and then by his son, was incorporated in 1889. It executed its final contract in 1962.
378:. The property holds artifacts that may be visited, including the kiln and chimney, a wine cellar, beautiful old stone walls, and many smaller structures that have been rediscovered as modern buildings have been constructed there.
565:
Few structures designed and built by
Guastavino alone have been identified. He was responsible for a series of surviving rowhouses with unusual Mooresque features on West 78th Street (121–131 known as the "red and whites"), on
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610:, and he had a relationship with their adopted daughter Pilar. When he was 17 and she was 16, Pilar became pregnant, and the two married. They had three sons together, but Guastavino had an affair with
301:. His work appears in numerous prominent projects designed by major architectural firms in New York and other cities of the Northeast. Guastavino tile is found in some of New York's most prominent
267:; March 1, 1842 – February 1, 1908) was a Spanish building engineer and builder who immigrated to the United States in 1881; his career for the next three decades was based in
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and in major buildings across the United States. It is also used in numerous architecturally important and famous buildings with vaulted spaces.
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370:, also had a vineyard, dairy, brick kiln, and more. This property currently is owned by Christmount Assembly, the conference center for the
674:. Ruins of the original Guastavino Estate still stand, and a collection of Guastavino memorabilia is held in the Christmount library. The
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documenting
Guastavino's work in the Boston area, this page provides copies of writings and patents by the Guastavinos as well
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374:. Guastavino's wife Francesca remained in the house until she died in 1946, and all that remains is a brick foundation and a
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328:, with his youngest son, nine-year-old Rafael Jr. In Spain he had been an accomplished architect and was a contemporary of
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After working on the estate, Guastavino decided to build his own retirement home in the mountains of
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582:. His son Rafael's Mediterranean villa (1912), built entirely of Guastavino tiles, still stands on
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Guastavino
Fireproof Construction Company architectural records, 1866-1985 (bulk, 1890-1942)
846:"WNC History: Infidelity may have led to Guastavino's move here, work on Biltmore, basilica"
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The site of his estate is now used as
Christmount, the conference and retreat center of the
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1076:, Ed. Planeta 2020, a novel thoroughly researched about the Guastavinos, father and son.
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In North
Carolina Guastavino completed a number of projects: his work is found in
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332:. In the March 7, 1885 article entitled "The Dakota Apartment House", printed in
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knew about it. Guastavino also installed the ceiling of the south arcade of the
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Avery
Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University, New York City
777:"9 Dazzling Tiled Archways Devised by Rafael Guastavino | Architectural Digest"
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888:"Christmount Retreat, Camp & Conference Center, Black Mountain NC 28711"
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484:, the vaulting of the carriage turnaround is a Guastavino tile system. In
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The records and drawings of the
Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company
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Guastavino lived with his aunt and uncle when he studied architecture in
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The largest dome created by the Guastavino Company was over the central
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1062:, Princeton Architectural Press; 1st edition (September 22, 2010).
868:«Guastavino Estate - Rhododendron - Black Mountain, North Carolina»
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Hundreds of major building projects incorporate the distinctive
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National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory
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First Church of Christ, Scientist (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
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of masons using traditional Guastavino methods, ca.2012
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The Guastavinos had entered New York as immigrants via
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The crypt of Rafael Guastavino in the transept of the
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1056:Ochsendorf, John; Freeman, Michael (Photographer),
1011:. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office
397:was one of several trade names used by Guastavino.
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
635:, and final resting place of Rafael Guastavino in
1116:Held by the Department of Drawings & Archives
1000:Michael T. Southern and Peter Austin (May 1989).
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1059:Guastavino Vaulting: The Art of Structural Tile
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133: and the second or maternal family name is
1096:documenting Guastavino's work in New York City
940:Guastavino Facebook page, retrieved 2010-11-21
914:"At Ellis Island, Gloomy Ruin Starts to Shine"
863:
861:
811:"The greatest architect you've never heard of"
324:In 1881 Guastavino came to New York City from
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339:Guastavino was commissioned by the firm of
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535:, which was constructed during 1907-1914.
474:St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church
386:St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church
808:
735:Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library
351:to construct arches for the new mansion,
334:The Real Estate Record and Builders Guide
319:Grand Central Oyster Bar & Restaurant
309:Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
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1030:"National Register Information System"
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672:Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
372:Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
912:Dunlap, David W. (25 February 1987).
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731:Department of Drawings & Archives
659:After working on a commission at the
468:. Guastavino tiles form the domes of
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16:Spanish-American builder and engineer
1175:19th-century American businesspeople
1035:National Register of Historic Places
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680:National Register of Historic Places
596:National Register of Historic Places
519:, the underground showpiece for the
420:, Guastavino tiles are found in the
366:in a 500-acre valley. His property,
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
844:Chesky, Anne (September 30, 2023).
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715:Basilica of St. Lawrence, Asheville
713:. He is buried in the crypt of the
515:hired Guastavino to help construct
217:Basilica of St. Lawrence, Asheville
13:
615:returned to Spain that same year.
462:National Museum of Natural History
442:American Museum of Natural History
416:uses 100,000 Guastavino tiles. In
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1160:Businesspeople from New York City
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523:, the first part of the then-new
450:St. Bartolomew's Episcopal Church
446:Congregation Emanu-El of New York
1002:"Rafael Guastavino, Sr., Estate"
551:Cathedral of St. John the Divine
317:Guastavino tile vaulting at the
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1125:Photo of the Rhododendron house
809:Sam Allis (February 26, 2011).
488:, the tiles may be seen in the
408:, the central nave vaulting of
34:needs additional citations for
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676:Rafael Guastavino, Sr., Estate
364:Black Mountain, North Carolina
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1100:Guastavino.net backup at MIT:
977:"Rafael Guastavino Jr. House"
757:
717:, which he designed in 1905.
511:In 1900, New York architects
156:Portrait of Rafael Guastavino
623:Retirement in North Carolina
533:Manhattan Municipal Building
264:[rafaˈelɣwastaˈβino]
125:, the first or paternal
7:
874:. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
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707:Basilica Shrine of St. Mary
695:Jefferson Standard Building
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619:and sons but had no luck.
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1155:Burials in North Carolina
701:, the Motley Memorial in
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357:Asheville, North Carolina
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202:Asheville, North Carolina
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663:, Guastavino retired to
653:Basilica of St. Lawrence
633:Basilica of St. Lawrence
256:Rafael Guastavino Moreno
166:Rafael Guastavino Moreno
1165:Spanish Roman Catholics
851:Asheville Citizen-Times
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490:Nebraska State Capitol
430:Grand Central Terminal
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341:McKim, Mead, and White
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260:Spanish pronunciation:
1094:Rafaelguastavino.com:
1040:National Park Service
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594:and was added to the
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496:Work in New York City
422:Boston Public Library
414:University of Chicago
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345:Boston Public Library
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781:Architectural Digest
561:As building engineer
525:New York City Subway
504:Bridgemarket, under
349:George W. Vanderbilt
303:Beaux-Arts landmarks
288:architectural vaults
43:improve this article
872:Guastavino Alliance
739:Columbia University
631:Inside dome of the
513:Heins & LaFarge
290:using interlocking
240:Significant advance
58:"Rafael Guastavino"
919:The New York Times
678:was listed on the
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458:U.S. Supreme Court
410:Rockefeller Chapel
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224:Engineering career
1082:978-84-670-6391-2
1074:A prueba de fuego
741:in New York City.
580:Queensboro Bridge
576:Midtown Manhattan
517:City Hall station
506:Queensboro Bridge
460:building and the
278:, he created the
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820:. Retrieved
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584:Awixa Avenue
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470:Philadelphia
434:Grant's Tomb
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368:Rhododendron
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196:(1908-02-01)
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123:Spanish name
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1145:1908 deaths
1140:1842 births
981:www.nps.gov
952:"awixa.com"
892:christmount
703:Chapel Hill
687:Duke Chapel
592:Long Island
578:end of the
395:Akoustolith
376:wine cellar
1134:Categories
1015:2014-08-01
986:2021-03-25
925:27 October
786:2017-09-20
758:References
711:Wilmington
699:Greensboro
478:Pittsburgh
343:for their
292:terracotta
230:Discipline
172:1842-03-01
131:Guastavino
69:newspapers
682:in 1989.
637:Asheville
608:Barcelona
598:in 2013.
588:Bay Shore
568:Manhattan
555:Manhattan
452:; and in
428:, in the
746:See also
549:for the
547:crossing
486:Nebraska
326:Valencia
180:Valencia
121:In this
961:Dec 14,
956:DAN.COM
897:Dec 14,
733:in the
464:on the
456:in the
412:at the
406:Chicago
127:surname
83:scholar
1080:
1066:
705:, and
693:, the
691:Durham
602:Family
448:, and
440:, the
418:Boston
299:mortar
284:arches
135:Moreno
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
1106:Video
1005:(PDF)
763:Notes
612:nanny
586:, in
476:. At
424:; in
404:. In
295:tiles
184:Spain
90:JSTOR
76:books
1078:ISBN
1064:ISBN
963:2019
927:2023
899:2019
824:2011
286:and
191:Died
162:Born
62:news
737:at
709:in
697:in
689:in
570:'s
553:in
521:IRT
480:'s
472:'s
355:at
129:is
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