MMAD, Fabricating History in Asunción.
Taking one step to the side, he instead became an applied artist. The fantastic gargoyles and facade details that adorn much of the architecture of NYC became his first passion; he supplied the architectural detailed shapes for the restoration of almost every significant facade in New York City, from the New York Stock Exchange, to Carnegie Hall and the famous Woolworth Building. He went from having a gallery show every 2 years to having his work on permanent display in one of the world’s great cities. Now as an artist/fabricator, MacLeod continues immersing himself in the building sciences and the arts as they relate to specialist projects. With a very solid base in engineering and technology learned from restoration jobs, MacLeod was invited to provide fantastic architectural shapes for the hospitality industry, casinos, hotels and theme parks; even the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottle that reigned over Times Square for 13 years. He provided his special services on several of the world’s top 10 resorts, including both of Kerzner International’s Atlantis resorts in Dubai and the Bahamas.
Repurposing older buildings is the latest trend in the hotel business, but what happens when there is no pre-existing building stock available? Developer Pini Aquino faced this dilemma in Asunción, Paraguay. He wanted to develop a boutique factory / hotel in the former residential area of Carmelitas, an up and coming entertainment region in the city. His initial concept was simple; to reuse the successful formula he employed at La Alondra Hotel in Corrientes, Argentina. There, he and his wife Valeria Rolon built a hotel within the confines of a factory building, complete with all of the unusual spaces and ambiance which define an aging structure. The primary issue faced by Aquino with his new project in Asunción, was that there were no existing factory buildings in the Carmelitas neighborhood. Aquino’s vision was in place. The conception of a hotel / factory was set in motion, the land was purchased, and a layout was produced by a local architect. The room standards would be comparable to those in the La Alondra in Corrientes. Aquino’s production team in Asunción could not find the dilapidated factory building needed to house this concept, and faced the mystery of delivering such a unique space without a pre-existing factory to reapportion.
La Alondra Entryway Enter MMAD, Michael MacLeod Art Director, who moved to Argentina 10 years ago. By way of a “small world” introduction, he met Aquino and Rolon, understood their project brief and knew immediately how to solve their dilemma in Carmelitas. MMAD’s career trajectory has led him to evolve and react with each specialty project, which prepared him to solve problems just like those La Alondra faced in Asuncion. MacLeod graduated with a degree in Sculpture from Syracuse University. Since 1979, he has been making art for architecture. At first, he split time between showing his sculptures in New York galleries and providing shapes for architectural restoration. After a decade of splitting time, his interest in architecture overtook the desire to be a fine artist.
La Alondra Interior Hallway In 2002, MacLeod began to utilize his knowledge base to consult for large developers, working with architecture and engineering firms in pre-tender concepts, developing building systems and outlining the intricacies of the artistic specifications required on projects of this nature and scope. Often, MacLeod produces architectural narratives and scaled prototypes for owners and consultants to review. He conducts compliance reviews throughout the fabrication process, even to the point of teaching factory technicians in the methodology of achieving certain forms, shapes and finishes. On behalf of the owners and construction managers, he is capable of training contractors in installation technologies for specialist materials with emphasis on interfacing with base building construction. Since MacLeod works all around the world, he is often charged with the task of finding local artisans, then “coaching” them up to achieve world class work.
With his background in fine art, he has also begun to consult on property specific art purchases. An exciting new facet of MMAD’s holistic service approach is art consulting and procurement. With 36 years of creating and directing artistic endeavors, MacLeod was well equipped to define the way forward for the La Alondra property. In a mere 15 minutes, MacLeod sketched by hand, the drawing which would become the guiding visual compass for the factory facade and set the architectural tone for the public spaces of the hotel. MacLeod worked with Aquino, Rolon, their fellow owners and a team of historical consultants to construct an architectural narrative for the property which allowed MMAD certain justifications for finishes on the facade and interiors. Authenticity has always been a hallmark of MacLeod’s work and preserving that reputation was his pri- La Alondra Concept Sketch mary focus when developing the hotel factory in Asuncion. The narrative developed by MMAD’s creative team, describes a factory built in the 1890s. The building housed a family owned butchery with a storefront on the ground floor. Business offices and records storage occupied the mezzanine level, and a shoe factory the second floor. Asuncion’s first film studio stands proudly on the top floor. The story tells that the factory remained in the family through several generations, as additions were constructed and added to the original structure over two centuries. A machine shop was added in front, an iron bridge leading to an adjacent storage building reconfigured the second floor and an exterior steel stairwell, all contribute to the building’s current configuration and condition of disrepair. With the story set, MMAD began establishing a pallet of authentic materials and finding the local sources to provide these pieces to the puzzle. MacLeod’s first act was to direct local masons to build a masonry and brick rubble wall with centuries of authentic aging. The resulting wall set the aesthetic attitude for the brickwork facade. As was common in buildings of this age, bands of shaped stone accent the facade. MMAD then used his knowledge of casting and aging concrete, to instruct the casting yard workers on how to produce the decorative stone bands. The 19th century storefronts were fabricated in cast iron as would have been the case in the late 1800’s. MMAD found an iron foundry willing to cast architectural columns, lintels, panels and arches in between casting their normal line of iron tractor parts. The hotel’s faux workshop space and bridge were constructed in the same fashion used in the 1930s, with riveted metal and cast iron. Within the interior, the butchery had to be of a ceramic finish hearkening back to its past function. So, in what is now the Bistro portion of the hotel, MacLeod utilized a tile vaulted arch forming technique popular in 1890 invented by Rafael Gaustavino which results in an arced terra cotta tiled ceiling and terra cotta columns.
Contemporary Brick Wall, Aged Two Centuries by MMAD. The MMAD team could not find a company to produce the terra cotta tiles to his specifications, so rather than give up on the concept, MMAD installed a kiln in its Argentina studio and produced the tiles in-house. In what was conceptualized as the family library, MMAD directed artisan Ribotto Carpenteria in the techniques of how to create distressed wooden library shelving. The main entry passes through the former machine shop and upon entering what is now the reception lobby the exposed brick and iron vaulted ceiling recalls the standard building process of pre-steel frame construction technology. The space projects the feeling of an aged factory. The main corridor was executed in distressed wood, cast iron columns and gypsum details revealing the library of family records above your head on the mezzanine. The factory narrative allowed for the presence of large photo studios on the top floor, the “loft” rooms are the most spacious rooms in the hotel complete with the factory style skylights. Throughout the interiors, MMAD selected and procured vintage paintings, objects d’art and gilded distressed wooden frames. These pieces give the hotel factory the last layer of interest in MMAD’s holistic approach, to re-invent the hotel factory from scratch. The MMAD staff of artists, architects, interior designers and curators make up the interdisciplinary skill set required for unique projects with challenging conceptual and fabrication criterias. Michael MacLeod orchestrates this band of talented and experienced professionals by allowing the creative process to be front and center while focusing on delivering the unique products required in the Hospitality and Entertainment sector.