Unschooled Architecture

I came across a BBC news clip about 85 year old Justo Gallego MartÃnez, who is building his very own Cathedral in Mejorada del Campo near Madrid, Spain. Is he eccentric, foolish or just plain crazy? After all, Don Justo has no building or architectural qualifications, no planning permission, no labour force and very little money.
What he does have, however, is  a powerful vision, a vibrant faith, an ocean of creativity and more courage than most. He shows us - we who are  jaded and passive-made by all our rules and regulations and structures and health and safety policies, that anything is possible. He demonstrates unschooling in action. He takes us back to an era of artistic endeavour and enjoyment. In his Cathedral, for just a little while, we once again see through the eyes of children.
I hear rumours that Don Justo's dream may be demolished after his death. I for one would hate to see this happen. No, let's rather celebrate it, preserve it, be inspired by it. Magic does not happen every day...


As 'Hasslehof' (writer on CityNoise) put it: "Justo's Cathedral is a Monument to the human spirit and its capacity to transcend ordinary constraints and limitations in the most improbable way. Its symbolism is that much greater because it is the act of a very ordinary hero -- whose genius lay in his persistence. The cathedral is above all a demonstration in how to implement a dream, however little wider support there is for doing so."

More at:

http://citynoise.org/article/732/by/hasslehoff

and


http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/architecture_and_design/article7083402.ece