Archinect - News

Influential Spanish architect and urban planner, Oriol Bohigas, has passed away at 95

2021-12-20T10:54:00-05:00

The global architecture community is mourning the loss of another titan after the New York Times reported the architect’s death from Parkinson’s disease at his home in Barcelona on November 30th at the age of 95.

Bohigas was influential in the modernist movement in Spain and became a prominent figure in the development of his hometown and its transformative turn hosting the Olympic Games in 1992.

Casa dels Xuklis by MBM Arquitectes (Josep Martorell, Oriol Bohigas, David Mackay, Oriol Capdevila and Francesc Gual)

Born in Barcelona in 1925, Bohigas came up under the post-Civil War Francoist era and fought his entire life to forge a place for modern architecture in his native Catalonia. He lectured at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura de Barcelona (ETSA) from 1964 until 1980 and participated in several leading progressive movements of the time, including the gauche divine.

After leaving the ETSA in 1980, Bohigas entered a successful career in politics and urban planning. Af...

Hauser & Wirth Menorca to open after two-year conservation project

2021-02-25T15:45:00-05:00

Through a two-year conservation project, Hauser & Wirth has repurposed a collection of historic buildings on Isla del Rey, located in the port of Mahon in Menorca, into a 1,500 square meter art center. An education program has been developed to engage the local community and visitors in contemporary art through screenings, talks, and workshops.

Hauser & Wirth Menorca on Isla del Rey. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Be Creative, Menorca.

Throughout the site, a sculpture trail will feature work by Louise Bourgeois, Eduardo Chillida, and Frantz West, among others. A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Hauser & Wirth partnered with the Menorca Preservation Fund to realize the project.

Paris-based Argentinian architect Luis Laplace led the restoration of the project. Tiled roofing and terrazzo flooring used in the project was created with local stone, and the interior architecture features the original restored wooden beams.

Hauser & Wirth Menorca on Isla del Rey. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Be...

A rugged rehab of an architect’s personal home in Valencia

2020-04-07T18:59:00-04:00

Located in the neighborhood of Ayora in Valencia, Spain, this home was rehabilitated for Jose Costa, the architect who also designed the project. As his own home, the endeavor gave Costa a canvas to explore different creative ideas within the space.

Costa removed all interior coverings, leaving partitions, ceilings, and floors bare, exposing the wooden structure hidden beneath. Built within an older existing structure, the previous window openings allow natural light to wash through the space while preserving the original elevation of the structure.

The double height living-dining room and kitchen space sit adjacent an upper-level loft. Just beneath the loft is the main room, bathroom, and winter room. The upper-level also contains a multipurpose studio space.

The original roof on the structure was raised to provide natural light and ventilation into the home, reaching both the mezzanine and living room. Brick, concrete, steel, and wood are the core materials presented throughout th...

SelgasCano's floating pavilion invades the canals of Bruges for the city's Triennial

2018-05-09T14:19:00-04:00

Over the weekend, the famous tourist town of Bruges—known for its enchanting canals, Belgian chocolate, and starring role in the movie In Bruges—kicked off the second edition of its Contemporary Art and Architecture Triennial. Themed Liquid City | Vloeibare stad, the event has returned with surprising installations by an international roster of celebrated artists and architects, spread across the historic cityscape.

The Selgascano Pavilion at the Bruges Triennial. Photo by Iwan Baan.

Over 15 works have been commissioned by curators Till-Holger Borchert and Michel Dewildel, their marks and temporary modifications opening up both lesser-known and iconic places around the city for new opportunities. Inspired by the Polish-born British sociologist Zygmunt Bauman—who, coining the term liquid modernity, believed that change within modern society was constant and relentless—the curators wanted to build hospitable public sp...

The 2018 MPavilion to be designed by award-winning Spanish architect Carme Pinós

2018-02-12T13:36:00-05:00

Announced this morning, the 2018 MPavilion, arriving in spring of this year, will be designed by the award-winning Carme Pinós. Now in its fifth iteration, the MPavilion is Australia's answer to the U.K's Serpentine Pavilion. An initiative of the Naomi Milgrom Foundation, the design event commissions a leading international architect to erect a new temporary pavilion in Melbourne’s historic Queen Victoria Gardens every year. Past participating architects include Rem Koolhaas & David Gianotten of OMA, Bijoy Jain, Amanda Levete, and Sean Godsell.

The Spanish architect responsible for this year's forthcoming pavilion is internationally celebrated for her humanistic approach to designs ranging from cultural centers, educational institutions and public housing to office towers, urban landscapes and furniture design. Based in Barcelona, Pinós leads her eponymous architectural firm which she founded in 1991 after earning international recognition for her work with Enric Miralles. Signific...