Architecture and the urban planner today in Seville
The Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism kicks off in Seville an edition with its sights set on the future of the habitat.
The 16th Spanish Architecture Biennial focuses on the future of the habitat and recognises the best projects of the past two years
The historic building of the Royal Artillery Factory of Seville, built in the 16th century and listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest in the category of Monument, is hosting until 20 November the exhibition of the 16th Spanish Architecture and Urban Planning Biennial which, under the motto ‘Me-dio Pla-zo’, showcases the most outstanding architecture and urban planning projects of the past two years (2021-2022).
The general motto of the Biennial is “We are the architecture we live”, in an edition that has been curated by the Sevillian architects María González García, Juan José López de la Cruz and Ángel Martínez García-Posada, who have selected proposals that denote “a strong social commitment, a deep cultural value, a humanist confidence and a strategic propositional capacity”, they indicate.
This industrial complex situated next to the district of San Bernardo, with a long history behind it and in the process of transformation as a cultural space, symbolises how architecture can generate changes in society, while at the same time serving as a backdrop to “highlight the dual temporal capacity of architecture and urban planning to respond to current challenges, but also to propose solutions and strategies that allow us to insinuate a better future”, according to the curators.
They also emphasise that “many of the projects have been able to operate in areas that are already built, working in a sensitive way with material and social contexts that they have endowed with new values while safeguarding local links”. The exhibition in a sort of easily transportable ‘time boxes’ is arranged around five horizons: New Programmes, Common Actions, Local Roots, Constructive Logics and Precise Scales.
The 16th Spanish Architecture Biennial focuses on the future of the habitat and recognises the best projects of the past two years
The historic building of the Royal Artillery Factory of Seville, built in the 16th century and listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest in the category of Monument, is hosting until 20 November the exhibition of the 16th Spanish Architecture and Urban Planning Biennial which, under the motto ‘Me-dio Pla-zo’, showcases the most outstanding architecture and urban planning projects of the past two years (2021-2022).
The general motto of the Biennial is “We are the architecture we live”, in an edition that has been curated by the Sevillian architects María González García, Juan José López de la Cruz and Ángel Martínez García-Posada, who have selected proposals that denote “a strong social commitment, a deep cultural value, a humanist confidence and a strategic propositional capacity”, they indicate.
This competition of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, in collaboration with the Higher Council of the Spanish Architects’ Associations (CSCAE) and the Arquia Foundation, whose exhibition will travel to other cities in Spain and abroad, has recognised a total of 55 works divided into the categories of Works (20), Research and Dissemination (10) and Final Degree Projects (25).
The specialised jury chaired by the secretary general of the Urban Agenda and Housing of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (MITMA), Iñaqui Carnicero, has highlighted the “quality, innovation, sustainability, environmental efficiency and social and cultural vocation” of these initiatives.
The jury awarded prizes in the Works category to: 24 subsidised housing units in Platja d’en Bossa, Ibiza (Balearic Islands), by 08014 arquitectura; 4 subsidised housing units in Garralda, Navarra, by Rodrigo Núñez Carrasco, Nazareth Gutiérrez Franco, Juan Carrascosa Guardia; the refurbishment of the harbour edge of Porto do Son, in A Coruña, by CREUSeCARRASCOarquitectos; the Public Library of Córdoba, by Paredes y Pedrosa; Blasón. Elements for industrial recovery, in Madrid, by BURR; Cap Totet in Barcelona, by BAAS arquitectura; the Casa Cortijo Jamonero, in Garciaz, Cáceres, by Jorge Vidal, Marcos Catalán; the New Munch Museum, in Oslo (Norway), by estudio Herreros; Olimpo Nômade, in Portimão, Portugal, by Langarita and Navarro; Raw Rooms (Casas de Tierra), 43 social housing units in Ibiza, by Marta Peris, José Toral; the Reggio School, El Encinar de los Reyes, in Madrid, by Office for Political Innovation; the refurbishment of the Casa de la Cultura as a Municipal Library and Theatre, in Boadilla del Monte (Madrid), by Alberto Martínez Castillo, Beatriz Matos, Néstor Montenegro, Antoni Gelabert; the refurbishment of the Ciprián Traditional Shipyard, in Concello de Outes (A Coruña), by Fuertespenedo Arquitectos; the refurbishment and extension of the Town Hall of Fuentes de Andalucía, in Seville, by Ignacio Laguillo Diaz; Remodelling of the Plaza de España and its surroundings, in Madrid, by Lorenzo Fernández-Ordoñez Hernández, Aránzazu La Casta Muñoa, Fernando Porras-Isla; Environmental restoration of the surroundings of the Rec Comtal in Vallbona. Miradores de biodiversidad, in Barcelona, by Carles Enrich Studio; the Restoration of hermitages on the French Way of St. James through Aragon, in Sigüés (Huesca), by Sebastián Arquitectos; The Dark Line, in Taipei City, Taiwan, by mICHELE&mIQUEL Michèle Orliac & Miquel Batlle + daVISION DESIGN Chung-Hsun WU; Viviendas Sociales 1737, in Gavà (Barcelona), by Harquitectes; and, Viviendas sociales en Ibiza, by Juan Miguel Tizón, Pep Ripoll.
In addition to the exhibition, from 3 to 5 October the Antiguo Convento de Santa María de Los Reyes Seville will be the venue for a congress to be inaugurated by Emilio Tuñón – National Architecture Prize 2021 – and which will revolve around “Spanish architecture in the medium term” to propose a reflection on the future of architecture and urban planning, and in which the 20 prize-winning teams in the category of Works will take part.
Editor: Beatriz Fabián
Beatriz is a journalist specialising in offline and online editorial content on design, architecture, interior design, art, gastronomy and lifestyle.
