SB-2
Founded in 1949, The Humboldt Cultural Association, a solid institution to strengthen links between Venezuelan and German cultures, instructs Bornhorst to project its new headquarters in San Bernardino. The building is developed by combining spaces and traditional materials of a colonial house with volumes that fit slopes posing free forms with pitched roofs, following patterns of «biological» design away from the right angle to achieve a harmonious ensemble. Includes a foyer, halls, library, classrooms, administrative offices and a magnificent theater, which highlights spatial and architectural quality within the set. The Alexander von Humboldt theater with seating for 300 spectators, was designed according to Bornhorst «so that visitors have the impression of entering a violin, recognizing the sinuous curves of this instrument through architectural rhythms wood inside the room». The wood is used as a symbol. The sinuosity breaks into the orthogonality of the architectural box and accented with thin strips of «saki saki» wood creating an atmosphere of warmth, intimacy and closeness to nature. The acoustic ceiling undulating wood slats allowing the extraordinary acoustics of the room, evoking the shapes inside the Viipuri Library of the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. The work, a thrilling evidences that for Bornhorst, nature was the great model for organic creation.
corte