What do you think?
Immigrant Architect: Rafael Guastavino and the American Dream
Booklist Starred Review Named to the 2022 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List
The Spanish architects Rafael Guastavino Sr. and hisson, Rafael Guastavino Jr., designed more than one thousand iconic spaces across New York City and the United States, such as the New York City Hall Subway Station (still a tourist destination though no longer active), the Manhattan Federal Reserve Bank, the Nebraska State Capitol, the Great Hall of Ellis Island, the Oyster bar at Grand Central Terminal in New York, the Elephant House at the Bronx Zoo, the soaring tiled vaults under the Queensboro Bridge, the central dome of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, and the Boston Public Library. Written in the voice of the son, who was eight years old in 1881 when he immigrated to America with his father, this is their story. Rafael Guastavino Sr. was 39 when he left a successful career as an architect in Barcelona. American cities―densely packed and built largely of wood―were experiencing horrific fires, and Guastavino had the The soaring interior spaces created by his tiled vaults and domes made buildings sturdier, fireproof, and beautiful. What he didn’t have was fluent English. Unable to win design commissions, he transferred control of the company to his American-educated son, whose subsequent half-century of inspired design work resulted in major contributions to the built environment of America. Immigrant Architect is an introduction to architectural concepts and a timely reminder of immigrant contributions to America. The book includes four route maps for visiting Guastavino-designed spaces in New York uptown, midtown, downtown, and Prospect Park. full color
The Spanish architects Rafael Guastavino Sr. and hisson, Rafael Guastavino Jr., designed more than one thousand iconic spaces across New York City and the United States, such as the New York City Hall Subway Station (still a tourist destination though no longer active), the Manhattan Federal Reserve Bank, the Nebraska State Capitol, the Great Hall of Ellis Island, the Oyster bar at Grand Central Terminal in New York, the Elephant House at the Bronx Zoo, the soaring tiled vaults under the Queensboro Bridge, the central dome of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, and the Boston Public Library. Written in the voice of the son, who was eight years old in 1881 when he immigrated to America with his father, this is their story. Rafael Guastavino Sr. was 39 when he left a successful career as an architect in Barcelona. American cities―densely packed and built largely of wood―were experiencing horrific fires, and Guastavino had the The soaring interior spaces created by his tiled vaults and domes made buildings sturdier, fireproof, and beautiful. What he didn’t have was fluent English. Unable to win design commissions, he transferred control of the company to his American-educated son, whose subsequent half-century of inspired design work resulted in major contributions to the built environment of America. Immigrant Architect is an introduction to architectural concepts and a timely reminder of immigrant contributions to America. The book includes four route maps for visiting Guastavino-designed spaces in New York uptown, midtown, downtown, and Prospect Park. full color
60 pages, Hardcover
Published April 7, 2020
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 1, 2020
I don't prefer the first-person narrative voice in this biography, and because the majority of the book is set in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the mid-century retro illustrations are anachronistic and out of place. However, even though I didn't care for this book's presentation, it is full of great information about both immigration history and architectural innovation.
June 6, 2021
I really like how this book is told from the son's point of view to us directly. It makes it seem so friendly and conversational. I also love the illustrations. I am going to find as many examples online-- photos, videos, tours, to share with my students. (And now they're on my list of places to visit!)
April 21, 2020
Another outstanding informational book in picture book format from Tilbury House Publishers.
Rafael Guastavino and his father emigrated from Spain to the United States in 1881. An established architect and businessman in Spain, the elder Gustavino had difficulty getting established because he did not speak English. Things came together when he brought his son on board with the company part time at age ten and full time at age fifteen. This was a time of rapid growth and development for the country and Gustavino's experience using domes and vaults covered with tile were greatly appreciated for both their fire retardant nature and strength. Upon his father's death, son Rafael continued in his father's footsteps and became successful, as well.
Co-written by Bert de Miguel, Kent Diebolt, and Virginia Lorente, this introductory text is casual, with the younger Gustavino serving as narrator. The playful fonts used in the text work well with the cartoonish characterizations found in the three-color digital illustrations. They, too, are playful and striking. A timeline follows the story along the lower left page, indicating when each event being discussed happened. Use of a few sidebars adds to knowledge of the reader. Scattered throughout the book and on the endsheets are similarly stylized illustrations of 17 vaulted and domed ceilings.
Backmatter includes four NYC train routes and a map to view some of Gustavinos' work, a paragraph about the father and son with their full names and birth/death dates.
An outstanding introduction to an aspect of architecture and two architects.
For grades 2-8.
Rafael Guastavino and his father emigrated from Spain to the United States in 1881. An established architect and businessman in Spain, the elder Gustavino had difficulty getting established because he did not speak English. Things came together when he brought his son on board with the company part time at age ten and full time at age fifteen. This was a time of rapid growth and development for the country and Gustavino's experience using domes and vaults covered with tile were greatly appreciated for both their fire retardant nature and strength. Upon his father's death, son Rafael continued in his father's footsteps and became successful, as well.
Co-written by Bert de Miguel, Kent Diebolt, and Virginia Lorente, this introductory text is casual, with the younger Gustavino serving as narrator. The playful fonts used in the text work well with the cartoonish characterizations found in the three-color digital illustrations. They, too, are playful and striking. A timeline follows the story along the lower left page, indicating when each event being discussed happened. Use of a few sidebars adds to knowledge of the reader. Scattered throughout the book and on the endsheets are similarly stylized illustrations of 17 vaulted and domed ceilings.
Backmatter includes four NYC train routes and a map to view some of Gustavinos' work, a paragraph about the father and son with their full names and birth/death dates.
An outstanding introduction to an aspect of architecture and two architects.
For grades 2-8.
October 15, 2020
Immigrant Architect: Rafael Guastavino and the American Dream is a children's picture book written by the team of Berta de Miguel and Kent Diebolt and illustrated by Virginia Lorente. It recounts the life and dreams of Rafael Guastavino Moreno through his son's point of view.
Rafael Guastavino Moreno was a Spanish building engineer and builder who immigrated to the United States in 1881. His career for the next three decades was based in New York City.
The text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. An esoteric architectural detail – the Guastavino vault anchors this chatty, information-dense biography, which is told in first person through the subject's son. Lorente's retro-mod illustrations, washed in teal, yellow, and rust, portray undulating tiled vaults, grand spaces, and dapper architects at work.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. After Rafael Guastavino Moreno and his eight year old son, Rafael Guastavino Expósito, immigrated to the United States from Spain in 1881, the elder Guastavino patented tiled vaults and domes as a fireproof construction system. Engaging the same concepts used in pizza and bread ovens, the Guastavino vault proved enormously successful, and he built curved ceilings in more than one thousand buildings. Through a fluke of fate, an architecture professor rescued the company's drawings from a dumpster, thereby ensuring the Guastavino legacy.
All in all, Immigrant Architect: Rafael Guastavino and the American Dream a firm foundation for building interest in architecture.
Rafael Guastavino Moreno was a Spanish building engineer and builder who immigrated to the United States in 1881. His career for the next three decades was based in New York City.
The text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. An esoteric architectural detail – the Guastavino vault anchors this chatty, information-dense biography, which is told in first person through the subject's son. Lorente's retro-mod illustrations, washed in teal, yellow, and rust, portray undulating tiled vaults, grand spaces, and dapper architects at work.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. After Rafael Guastavino Moreno and his eight year old son, Rafael Guastavino Expósito, immigrated to the United States from Spain in 1881, the elder Guastavino patented tiled vaults and domes as a fireproof construction system. Engaging the same concepts used in pizza and bread ovens, the Guastavino vault proved enormously successful, and he built curved ceilings in more than one thousand buildings. Through a fluke of fate, an architecture professor rescued the company's drawings from a dumpster, thereby ensuring the Guastavino legacy.
All in all, Immigrant Architect: Rafael Guastavino and the American Dream a firm foundation for building interest in architecture.
December 18, 2020
I randomly found this book while I was doing book bundles at the library and instantly liked it (I'm always on the lookout for interesting biographies to add to the bundles!). It was a bit too long for our book bundles but I like learning about art and architecture and it seemed to be both. Rafael Guastavino is famous for creating fireproof vaulted arches all over the US and the world, and patenting the design. The book is about the Senior Guastavino and his son with the same name. I liked the ones they created for Boston Public Library, Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC, the ceiling at the Vanderbilt Hotel (now a steakhouse), and many more. I liked that they had the facts, but also secrets and other details. One of the most interesting children's books I've read all year. Highly recommended for ages 8-12, 5 stars!
October 17, 2020
Written as a first-person memoir (which confused me at first -- I was wondering if this was co-written by an old guy. Like a really really old guy. 150 years old) this is the story of an major architect I have never heard of. That's not unusual; I've probably heard of about five. But I have been in some of the spaces he and his dad designed!
I liked how the first person view really brought the past to life, even though not much space is devoted to regular living. Instead the pages show an architect's eye towards cities and buildings. I hadn't really grasped the fire-fighting part of vaulted ceilings.
The art was fun and the facts were interesting. If I knew kids in New York this would be a good excuse for some walks!
I liked how the first person view really brought the past to life, even though not much space is devoted to regular living. Instead the pages show an architect's eye towards cities and buildings. I hadn't really grasped the fire-fighting part of vaulted ceilings.
The art was fun and the facts were interesting. If I knew kids in New York this would be a good excuse for some walks!
July 26, 2021
The best illustrated history book/biography I’ve read this year! I knew about Rafael Guastavino’s patented tile vaulting system from an architecture course, and I included a reference in my book, Clay City Tile. Wow! I didn’t know the story of how he and his son emigrated to the United States, and how the Guastavino Fireproof Construction company became so prolific, not only in the US but throughout the world. Told through his son’s perspective, the circular characters are wonderfully balanced by the amazing angular polychromatic illustrations of the arches and domes. Plus, there are experiments, secrets, and travel tips! This is a must read for everyone, but especially for fathers and sons, immigrants, architecture aficionados, and historic preservationists!
Read
February 25, 2024I came across this book while walking around in children’s section of our local library. What a nice finding. A story of immigrant, an architect who contributed to many of our beloved buildings including- some still standing, others rubbles now. The vaulted celling of GrandCentral station in New York, the subway celling and much more. And to think of we would have lost all these history if not for Mr. Collins who found many designs in dumpster of closed of building or the author who researched and the team who brought this book to life.
A nice walk down history of small and big way this immigrant architect have contributed to strength of United State, just like many more immigrants before and after him.
A nice walk down history of small and big way this immigrant architect have contributed to strength of United State, just like many more immigrants before and after him.
September 5, 2020
This is a beautiful introduction to the work of Rafael Gaustavino, an architect from Spain who changed the look and safety of many buildings after emigrating to the US. Told from the perspective of his son, also a noted and accomplished architect, Rafael Gaustavino Exposito, the story has a wonderfully child-like voice, expressing all the pride an exceptional artist has for his equally talented father.
April 27, 2023
Although written for children, this book is interesting for anyone interested in US architecture. The book has historical tidbits about several famous buildings in NYC, Asheville (NC), Boston, and Pennsylvania. The story is educational, and the illustrations are creative and unique. I also like that the story highlights the value of immigrants in the US and the importance of preserving the architectural heritage of buildings and structures across the country.
July 20, 2020
tells the story of how many of the beautiful vaulted domes and arches in famous buildings, bridges, and tunnels, came to be. Boston Public Library was the first public library in the United States, and featured beautiful tile work from Guastavino. Very retro illustrations add to the vintage vibe of this text.
August 13, 2020
Liked so much about this book. Immigrants leaving their mark on a new home. The influence of father and son on American architecture. The explanation of the Guastavino vaults. The beautiful, subdued illustrations that show the majesty of these spaces.
January 21, 2021
This is a unique biography about a successful Italian architect who moved to the U.S. with his son.It took years, but their architecture contributions made NYC city safer in the 1800's and the beauty of many of their tiled vaults and domes live on.
March 25, 2021
Good overall as a children’s book, but for as wordy as it was, it really needed to elaborate on what Guastavino adapted (a traditional Catalan construction method). As it was, the book constantly mentioned “adapting” something without saying what it was.
February 13, 2024
5 stars
This very interesting biography of Rafael Gustavino (and his brilliant vault constructions) is both informative and engaging. I had briefly heard of the Gustavino fireproof company but had no idea about his contributions to urban architecture.
This very interesting biography of Rafael Gustavino (and his brilliant vault constructions) is both informative and engaging. I had briefly heard of the Gustavino fireproof company but had no idea about his contributions to urban architecture.
November 2, 2020
Topics:
* immigrants
* architecture
* architects
* American Dream
* families
* immigrants
* architecture
* architects
* American Dream
* families
November 14, 2020
I learned more about architecture from this book than I did from school. It's such an interesting and inspiring story! I highly recommend.
November 21, 2020
Excellent!
November 22, 2020
It is estimated that more than 40 percent of Americans today are descended from Ellis Island immigrants.
Immigrant Architect is a lovely reminder of immigrant contributions to America.
Immigrant Architect is a lovely reminder of immigrant contributions to America.
January 28, 2021
This picture book make me want to run right out and find a Guastavino vault -- what a fabulous look behind a striking architectural contribution of an immigrant father and son to our country!
May 9, 2021
Having lived in NYC, a joy to read and revisit special places. Charming illustrations and a wonderful story.
August 12, 2022
I really enjoyed this book about someone I had never heard of. Each page had me looking up each location on YouTube so I could see videos.
September 9, 2023
Inspiring immigrant story. And lots of buildings added to my travel wish list!
February 16, 2024
Beautiful design; excellent information. Lots to follow up on researching the architect's work.
August 17, 2026
Beautiful, informative and well narrated picture book. Valuable story to be told.
November 1, 2020
I wanted to give this book 5-stars. I really did. I loved it. But...I don't feel the illustrations did justice to his work. I'm a children's librarian, and the illustrations aren't inspiring. They are lovely, unique, and well done, just not what this children's book needed.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews