The disc façade
Thousands of circular discs drawn from the repetition of Andalusi ornament.
JamesNarmer — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kent Wang from Barcelona, Spain — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Kent Wang from Barcelona, Spain — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wilhelm Lappe — CC BY 2.0
A contemporary art centre on the south bank of the Guadalquivir in Córdoba, in a striking modern building opened in 2013. The architecture is what strikes first: a white mass covered in thousands of circular discs of varying size, drawn from the repeating patterns of Andalusi ornament. From a distance it reads as a textile; close up you see the individual units. It is an architectural gesture towards the city's heritage without imitating it. The programme is contemporary art exhibitions, performance and digital media, with no permanent collection. That means the value of a visit follows exactly what is on — check the programme before crossing the river. It should be clear that this is entirely different from why most visitors come to Córdoba: the great mosque, the Jewish quarter and the flower patios. Contemporary art here is an addition for someone staying more than a day or two. It sits across the river and needs a bridge crossing and about twenty minutes on foot from the old city.
Thousands of circular discs drawn from the repetition of Andalusi ornament.
The building refers to Córdoba's heritage without reproducing its forms.
Another face of a city people come to for its Islamic heritage.
South bank of the Guadalquivir, Córdoba
If contemporary art interests you and the current show is strong, yes, and the building alone is worth looking at. On a short visit, the great mosque alone needs two hours, and the Alcázar, the Jewish quarter and the flower patios fill two days easily.
Internal courtyards in the old city's houses, filled with flower pots on the walls — an old Andalusi tradition descending from the Islamic plan of a house around a courtyard. In May a festival opens private patios to visitors free of charge; it is among the finest things in Córdoba and is on the UNESCO intangible heritage list.
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