Guastavino Co. (1885-1962)

If the covering of space is one of the principal objectives of architecture, doing so in the form of a vault renders it a space of the highest qualification. The Catalan technique of covering space in the form of the masonry tile vault was exported by the Guastavinos (father and son) and applied systematically at some of the highest levels ever achieved. Valued for their evolution of the classic principles of traditional Catalan building technologies and for transferring these innovations to the international level, the Guastavinos were also investigators of new technologies. In this way the Guastavinos covered a significant percentage of the most outstanding public and private buildings on the East Coast of the United States, contributing to the American understanding of an eminent space. Guastavino Co. documents work in Catalonia and America, reproducing original prints and plans alongside current photographs.