Photographs by Eliot Furness Porter, 1972.

Expressionist architecture (roughly, 1905-1935) utilized emerging technology and unexpected building blocks to realize organic forms. This meant that structures were inspired largely by the forces of nature (rock formations, sloping mountain sides, seashells…) but were built under modernist principles. Consequently, there was a large focus on unconventional massing; novel materials created shapes that served function as equally as the pursuit of emotional expression. There was nothing subtle about this sort of architecture and the urge to push the boundaries of proper form has afforded us with incredible buildings to admire many years later. Not least of which are Joaquin Vaquero Palacios’ hydroelectric plants.

Though he began to design his famed hydroelectric plants in the 50’s (far after the heyday of expressionism), the links to it are undeniable. He came of age exactly as this movement’s trajectory swelled. Born to a father who was one of the founders of Spain’s Hidroeléctrica del Cantábrico, it wasn’t a far stretch for Vaquero Palacios to lend his imaginative mind to this unlikely branch of engineering, and to take the principals of expressionism along with him. The Proaza plant, for example, opened in 1968. The multi-planar facade resembles the rocky side of a mountain, concrete “glaciers” pierce the landscape. It’s bold and unconventional, and seems to far outshine its singular purpose as a hydroelectric plant. This is what is so beautiful about Vaquero Palacios and his dedication to the seemingly mundane.

It’s easy to question why one would spend a career on the design of these sorts of buildings. Why do they deserve such thoughtful attention? To this, Vaquero Palacios responded: “All our day-to-day activities are saturated so we need to be appeased in some way to survive the tensions which we are subjected to.” It’s simple, he believed in the power of granting attention to the simple things, to the the places and the routines we take for granted. This idea, to bring artistic dignity to every aspect of our lives, is something we work towards as well, and it’s a philosophy we are so happy he had.

The images we have here are of various plants he completed during his over thirty year career.