This year’s Venice Biennale of Architecture, called Common Ground has drawn attention not only through its various exhibits but also in regards to the critical writings surrounding the show. Exhibition director and British architect David Chipperfield had chosen the title Common Ground as a means of addressing the “apparent lack of understanding that exists between the profession and society.” Even with a broad-based title, this latest Biennale may mark a turning point after a period of exhibitions focusing on celebrated designers and showpiece buildings. Furthermore, the decision to award Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira its lifetime achievement award could be pointing to a … [Read more...] about The wisdom of doubt: Álvaro Siza
ArchDaily
Iberian architecture builds a modern legacy
Recently, the widely read architectural website ArchDaily released its Buildings of the Year 2011 report and several winners from its categories are based in Iberia, including the MIMA House (MIMA Architects) in Viana do Castelo and Barcelona’s iGuzzini Illuminazione España H.Q. (MiAS Arquitectes). This, alongside Eduardo Souto de Moura’s 2011 Pritzker Prize win (architecture’s most prestigious award) raises the question: why is Portuguese and Spanish contemporary architecture garnering so much attention all of a sudden? Perhaps the attention may not be so sudden after all. By the time Portugal and Spain entered the EU in 1986, both countries had emerged from a period of architecture … [Read more...] about Iberian architecture builds a modern legacy