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BARCELONA, SPAIN
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When contemplating Toyo Ito's new Suites Avenue hotel facade from the roof of Antonio Gaudi's La Pedrera, a number of local architects could be overheard expressing their profound disappointment in Ito's contribution to the streetscape. On the glamorous Passeig de Gracia, widely accepted as one of the city's finest avenues (populated by buildings by Gaudi, Lluís Domènech i Montaner and Josep Puíg i Cadafalch), Ito's contribution was considered by some to be an unwelcome guest. Seen as little more than a thinly veiled marketing ploy to exploit the fact that interest in the Japanese architect is set to rise considerably as his two towers in exhibition complex Fira de Barcelona near completion, the disapproval was palpable. At that time, their argument seemed quite reasonable, especially in consideration of our context, with comparisons being made between the wafer-thin steel facade across...