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hurrengoa
bonjour (tristesse) berlin-bilbao    Bilbao

We take the bus and after about an hour, just as we are getting into Bilbao, something I glance at out the window catches my eye. It’s a building. At first look, it’s a pretty non-descript building, nothing special. But the upper floors have been recently renovated… and you can tell the new bricks from the old. I don’t know what it is but I crane my neck as much as I can to keep it in view. That building... Bloody hell! I know what it is. It can’t be true. Can’t be. On the bus back I’ll grab a picture with the camera on my phone... it just can’t be true.

Berlin

We know they’re not the same, but there’s no chance it’s a coincidence. The influence of the building that Alvaro Siza built is clear for all to see. The only thing that’s missing are the words Bon Jour Trisstese up just under the roof. It could be a coincidence, and if that were the case, it would go to show that the phenomenon of synchronicity can occur in architecture and we, as fans of the paranormal, would be delighted if this were to happen. On the other hand, what the likeliest scenario here is that the architect contracted by the building company hired to renovate the building wanted to pay his or her own particular homage to the Berlin building. We like that even more. We talked about the building that says good morning to sadness in the balde 79.