Wednesday, June 9, 2010

San Jose, Costa Rica

I can't say that there's anything beautiful about this postcard, but I found the message amusing.

As a side note, the Banco Anglo Costarricense no longer exists. The bank was closed down  in 1995 after incurring over $200 million in losses due to bad loans and investments in Venezuelan bonds that subsequently disappeared. Oops. A number of the bank's board members and management are serving prison sentences.

In case you can't read the message, it says:
Aug 12, 1966
Dear Ned,
I'm here at last after missing my plane. I had to wait 6 hrs. in the bus station for my suitcase. 
Isabel won't let Teri, Francisco, or me play the piano, she says only you play well enough,
Kenda

4 comments:

  1. It is a very interesting build that I could see would not be standing today. It doesn't look very sturdy.

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  2. I agree with L.D., the building looks pretty unstable - just like the bank turned out to be. I wonder if the architects are doing time as well?

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  3. How funny! I have always thought that there should be special prisons for bad architects and designers, especially the ones who tear down beautiful buildings and replace them with crap. Then again, I used to live in a building designed by Louis Kahn, and I had some unkind thoughts about him too. And also for a number of other notable architects. So I guess we can't put me in charge of the Architect Gulag, because I'd be like the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland - Off with their heads!

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  4. I'll jot that comment down in my log, C.H.... Really now, there are far worse buildings out there- granted, this one seems to have a bit of an identity crisis, but that butterfly roof is sure to have some mid-century modern buffs drooling! Crap, like beauty, is to a large part in the eye of the beholder (or should that be the beheader?). That Kahn building was pretty lame though...

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