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Álvaro Siza, National Architecture Award 2019

The Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza, Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1992, has been awarded the National Architecture Prize 2019, promoted by the Ministry of Development of Spain. This award is the highest award granted by the Ministry to those who have contributed to the promotion of architecture in the last year.

The acting Minister of Development, José Ábalos, announced, that the 2019 National Architecture Prize has been awarded to the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza. “I have just informed Álvaro Siza that he has been awarded the National Architecture Award 2019. World-renowned Portuguese architect, who has contributed so much to Spanish architecture and cities,” said Ábalos.

Pools of Marés. Photo Fernando Guerra.

“Every design,” says Siza, “is a rigorous attempt to capture a concrete moment of a transitory image in all its nuances. The extent to which this transitory quality is captured, is reflected in the designs: the more precise they are, the more vulnerable.”

Alvaro Siza, who has been praised by his peers in Europe as one this century’s finest architects, but is relatively unknown to most of the world, has been elected to receive his profession’s highest honor, the 1992 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

Álvaro Joaquim Melo Siza Vieira was born in Matosinhos (near Porto), in 1933. From 1949-55 he studied at the School of Architecture, University of Porto. His first built project was finished in 1954. From 1955-58 he was collaborator of Arch. Fernando Távora. He taught at the School of Architecture (ESBAP) from 1966-69 and was appointed Professor of “Construction” in 1976. He was a Visiting Professor at the Ècole Polythéchnique of Lausanne, the University of Pennsylvania, Los Andes University of Bogotá and the Graduate School of Design of Harvard University; he taught at the School of Architecture of Porto (jubilate in 2003).

Quinta da Malagueira. Usuario de Flickr: il deserto rosso.

He is the author of many projects such as: the Boa Nova Tea House and Restaurant; 1200 dwellings built in Malagueira, Évora; the Superior School of Education in Setúbal, the new School of Architecture in Porto; the Library of Aveiro University; the Museum of Modern Art in Porto; the Church and Parochial Centre in Marco de Canavezes; the Pavilion of Portugal for EXPO ’98 and the Pavilion of Portugal in Hannover 2000 (with Souto de Moura); the dwelling and offices complex of “Terraços de Bragança” in Lisbon; and he has rebuilt the burnt area of Chiado in Lisbon since 1988, including the projects for some buildings like Castro e Melo, Grandella, Chiado Stores, and others.

Llinars del Vallès, Catalonia – Álvaro Liza photo Joao Morgado

He has been coordinated the plan of Schilderswijk’s recuperation in The Hague, Holland, since 1985, which finished in 89; in 1995 he finished the project for blocs 6-7-8 in Ceramique Terrein, Maastricht.

In Spain he has completed the projects for the Meteorological Centre of Villa Olimpica in Barcelona; the Museum of Contemporary Art of Galicia and the Faculty of Information Sciences in Santiago de Compostela; the Rectorate of the Alicante University; Zaida building – offices, commercial and dwelling complex in Granada; Sportive Complex Cornellà de L’lobregat in Barcelona.

Ibere Camargo Foundation. Photo Elvira Tomazoni

Cultural Centre and auditorium for the Ibere Camargo Foundation in Brazil; Municipal Centre of Rosario in Argentina; lodging-house in the Plan of Recuperation and Transformation of Cidade Velha in Cap Vert; Serpentine Pavillion (2005) with Eduardo Souto Moura; Museum of Modern Art of Naples in Italy; Anyang Pavilion in South Korea (with Carlos Castanheira); Mimesis Museum in South Korea (with Carlos Castanheira); are to be mentioned.

From 1982 to 2010 has won many different awards and have been assigned with Medals of Cultural Merit from many country around the world. Doctor “Honoris Causa” in various European and International universities.

Bonjour Tristesse, Berlin 1984. Photo Giovanni Chiaramonte.

He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Science; “Honorary Fellow” of the Royal Institute of British Architects; AIA/American Institute of Architects; Académie d’Architecture de France and European Academy of Sciences and Arts; Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts; IAA/International Academy of Architecture; American Academy of Arts and Letters.

 

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