Today, we are getting up close and personal with Benedetta Tagliabue, the director of Barcelona-based practice Miralles Tagliabue EMBT. The Italian architect, known for her attention to context and the poeticism in her work, also happens to be a member of the Pritzker jury, a RIBA Stirling Prize winner, and the proud owner of an Argentinian parrot!

Who is your favorite living architect?

This is a difficult question. I haven't been thinking about it. Maybe we will leave it for a little bit later.

Who is your favorite dead architect?

Complicated. I have to say, my late husband – Enric Miralles – whom, of course, has been the biggest influence on me.

How would you describe the personality of your practice?

It is a practice which aims to do an architecture that is attentive to the surroundings, to the situation and at the same time, is trying to give a little more joy to the users. We are trying to do our best to give a good implemented place which is fluid with the energies of the place. I don't know if it's easy to explain that but we try to do it everyday. It's complex to do that!

What is your practice's main weakness?

Many times while you're doing your profession and in the process of inventing a new building, you feel very weak because it is always impossible to fulfill everything. But, I think we are open enough to introduce, in our weakness, a lot of other professionals and that is why we have moved to a multi-disciplinary team. When we realize we don't know enough about a sociologist's point of view, we ask a sociologist; when we realize we don't know enough about structures, we introduce a structural engineer and that's why this weakness makes our office a place of conversation.

What is the trait that you appreciate most in a building?

What I appreciate most is how it relates with the people who approach it and how it relates to the people who use it. I like that the building is giving a kind of sense of sureness so you feel that you know what to do while you are in the building, around the building, and that it is kind of clear and at the same time, a little bit joyful, no? The sense of joy is very important to me.

What is the trait that you deplore most in a building?

I don't like architecture that is too stiff and thinks it's correct because though it may be correct, in fact, it can be terrible. Correct things can be terrible. You are never sure. You always have to be a little daring because the world is changing constantly so no answer in architecture can be a fixed answer. You always have to renovate yourself. I hate buildings who think they are clear and sure because they have already done it. This is not giving an assurance.

What is the trait that you most appreciate in an architect?

I appreciate a kind of wit.

What is the trait that you most deplore in an architect?

Being boring.

What is your favorite type of project to work on?

We love to work on projects which are very very difficult and they always call us for very difficult situations. Projects where you don't even have the space; projects where the social situation is terrible and you have to make it better; projects in a piece of the city that is not working well. I think it is also nice because in this way, you can know that with your intervention, thing are going to get better.

What does architectural happiness mean?

It means that people are behaving near the architecture or in the space in kind of a better way. Architecture is like a big picture that you are not very, very conscious about, that is giving you the possibility to really be saved well and create a healthy society around that.

What does architectural misery mean?

When you have the contrary of that—a place that is unhealthy because it is dangerous, or its abandoned during a certain part of the day, or it's not attracting people. This is the dangerous part of architecture.

Where would you most like to build (where you haven't already)?

It's always difficult to imagine a new place. We have many places already which are very attractive; we are building a new museum near Tibet but anyways, I feel that every subject and every place we are actually working is so, so interesting. Every time we do a competition, we take the occasion to study the place.

What is your favorite color?

Mhh, Orange. Yellow...Yellow.

What is your favorite flower?

Bougainvilleas.

What is your favorite bird?

I love Sparrows but I have to say that I love the bird that I have in my house who is called Pepe. He's a little parrot from Argentina so I have to say, I have a real love of a certain bird.

Who is your favorite poet?

I'm Italian. I think in Italy there was a wonderful poet called Eugenio Montale. I love him. I loved also Pier Paolo Pasolini.

Who is your favorite artist?

In general, you can say, for example, Michelangelo. But, I love contemporary artists and I think now, Olafur Eliasson is among the artists which is attracting me most. I am always trying to collaborate with him and it's so difficult!

When do you lie?

I lie when I'm a little distracted and say things without really looking inside me.

What power would to most like to have?

Flying.

What architectural strategies do you most overuse?

I overuse, over and over, the strategy of being like a detective before starting a project. Investigating what the situation is, what the client wants, who are the architects they used before, what is the character of the land surrounding. We act as real detectives and this, I think, is very, very important. If you do very well, the detective part, and you discover, a little bit of the situation, then it will be much easier to do the project.

How would you like to die?

Sometimes I think about that. This is really difficult because no-one wants to die and this is something that you are thinking in what way would be best. I would like to die in a very peaceful way and in awareness – peaceful awareness. I think we have to prepare to do that. I'm trying but I know I am a real beginner in that so I hope when death comes, I will be a little better than now.