Proyecto Fachada Delta (#2) 1954

Xul Solar’s ‘Proyecto Fachada Delta’ is a watercolor on paper, a vision of architecture that seems to float somewhere between reality and fantasy. Solar, a trained architect himself, renders these imaginary structures with meticulous detail. The sharp lines and geometric shapes suggest careful planning and construction. Yet, the buildings are also whimsical, with their bright colors, precarious-looking stilts, and miniature scale. The watercolor technique also lends a dreamlike quality, its washes and blends creating a sense of atmosphere and depth. There's an undeniable connection here to modernist architecture. Solar’s vision of a utopian city reflects an interest in social engineering and urban planning, but it's also important to consider how his work challenges traditional notions of architectural functionality, inviting us to imagine new possibilities for living. In Solar's hands, the clean lines and functional aesthetic of modernism are transformed into something playful and poetic. By considering the materials and making of this piece, we come to understand how ‘high art’ and ‘craft’ are intermingled.