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Look for Donald! Matchday

In this life, if there is someone in charge of remembering your work does not exist, was postponed in the limbo of the anonymous. If these things, you yearn for the quality of your work, but nobody pays attention, we fall into oblivion. One of the most striking cases was discovered by Bernardo Boullosa Díez, Cuban architect settled in Spain since 1959. In a series of interesting articles on architecture and urbanism published in Marbella image in the late eighties, Boullosa with the caption "Look for Donald" performing a semblance of such a mysterious character, wondering "Where the hell is Donald? ".

Of Australian origin, his full name is Donald Wallace Gray Tonkin. He was prolific architect, restorer, interior designer and artist on the Costa del Sol during the sixties and seventies. The Cuban attributed no less than the flagship projects of the urbanization Las Lomas del Marbella Club (apparently referring to Pueblo Las Lomas del Marbella Club), The Virginia and Pueblo Lopez in Fuengirola.

been more than twenty years since the publication of the article and Donald Gray is still missing in studies of architecture la Costa del Sol, como si su anonimato fuera forzado, su trayectoria borrada por la indiferencia. No he hallado referencias bibliográficas más que escuetas menciones como la de ser calificado experto en la conservación del tipismo de la arquitectura alpujarreña en Atalbéitar, lugar cercano a Pitres en Granada o como director de una escuela taller en Lebrija en 1988.

Desconozco su grado de participación en los marbellenses proyectos debido a su condición de extranjero. En aquellos años muchos profesionales no pudieron colegiarse y por tanto no se les permitía firmar los trabajos. Pueblo Las Lomas del Marbella Club is one of the best areas of the province, resulting from various construction phases that have formed a single nucleus with a seemingly disorganized planning of narrow streets, squares and plazas. In areas such as the square of North African-inspired Xauen their elbow hits by horseshoe arches, walls in ocher and indigo dye houses that open to the outside through alfiz arches framed or covered by eaves modillions roll angrelados paired arches and trusses. The next phases Islamization abandoned in favor of Andalusia, won the classic simplicity of the local architecture. The first three, between 1974 and 1980 were Posadillo developed by José Sánchez de Puerta, the last, and in 1985 by José María Sastre Domínguez. In The Virginia

the problem of authorship is greatly complicated because different programs, both fragmentation and residential concrete projects, involving several architects among them Carlos de Ochoa Hernández-Blanco, Rafael Arvilla or Dora Ignacio Orduña. Maybe it's altogether more accomplished in terms of their authenticity and similarities to any people of Andalusia. In fact, the real estate propaganda countered the attempt to recreate the essence of Andalusian style against the constant attacks he suffered. In this case occurs proper hierarchical distribution between emblematic areas with stately homes around the main square and others that are inspired by folk architecture in the streets peripheral, winding layout, charming atmosphere and successful recreation.

Two advertising pages of The Village Virginia Lopez Lookout magazine, contained two separate drawings initialed by Donald Gray in 1965, reinforcing the possibility that he was somehow connected to both projects.

I tried to locate Gray, know your job, your opinions, but I did not succeed. A single phone number I contacted the office of architect Carlos Sánchez Gómez Granada. A woman, stark in the answers, perhaps uncomfortable with the conversation, tried several times to end the blockades. At my insistence, said that for more than six years who left the study, who had moved to live in a small town in the Alpujarra. I thought he was still alive, but ... I fired without margin.

in La Taha, a town of 700 inhabitants constituted by the annexation of others scattered, there is an art gallery with your name, pen drawings delicious alpujarreños uncontaminated landscape of purity preserved, as if his search was vital objective, purpose and justification of a work. There is Donald Gray and we must not forget.