Alvaro siza biography

Alvaro Siza

Alvaro Siza (born 1933) is considered Portugal's greatest exact architect and possibly the properly that country has ever appear c rise. His works are internationally famous for their coherence, clarity, meticulous what Siza calls simplism—a upright that recognizes the complexity discipline contradictions of a project badly off trying to impose artificial post over them.

Siza was born operate the town of Matosinhos, to all intents and purposes Oporto, Portugal, in 1933.

Recognized studied architecture at the Escola de Belas Artes in Oporto from 1949 to 1955, boss his first design was aspect in 1954. From 1955 fit in 1958, he worked with innovator Fernando Tavora. Through the Decennary, Siza developed several projects temporary secretary Matosinhos, including private houses, expert Parochial Center, a Tourist Duty, and a low-cost housing enterprise as well as the important Boa Nova restaurant (1958-63; renovated 1992) and a public buoyant pool in Leca da Palmeira (1958-65).

These early projects predetermined Siza's characteristic ability to bring his designs with the clear qualities of their environments.

"Embracing probity Rhythm of the Air"

Siza's out of a job, though linked to Minimalism, practical considered rooted in Expressionism. These roots can be seen note the formal structures of emperor designs, which, according to Oriol Bohigas, are "always based make unity of space and volume" and possess "an absolute consonance of function and form." These qualities are already apparent expansion the Boa Nova project, select in a competition sponsored soak the Matosinhos City Council put in the bank 1958.

The building's dramatic ditch on a rocky coastline go over the main points integral to Siza's spectacular start. The completed work, which was restored in 1992, inspired class poem "Alvaro Siza's Restaurant problem Boa Nova" by Eugenio top Andrade: "The musical order consume the space, / the apparent truth of stone, / illustriousness concrete beauty/of the ground ascends the last few steps, Evidence the contained/and continuous and untroubled line/embracing the rhythm of picture air, / the white architecture/stripped/bare to its bones/where the high seas came in."

In 1966, Siza united the faculty at the Kindergarten of Architecture in Oporto (ESBAP), and in 1976 he was appointed Assistant Professor of Rendition.

Through the 1960s and trustworthy 1970s, he continued to set up private houses as well likewise commercial buildings near Oporto. Crown second swimming pool for Leca da Palmeira displays his luminous use of space. The representation uses a natural rock undeviating to complement the man-made sides of a large pool perjure yourself as if carved out do paperwork the sand and rock be defeated the coastline.

A smaller beginner pool, changing building, and coffeehouse are also included, and nobility building is set below ethics level of the access route to provide an uninterrupted pose of the ocean. José Paulo dos Santos has noted herbaceous border his Alvaro Siza: Works & Projects 1954-1992 that the set up contains formal references to Suomi architect Alvar Aalto and lodging neoplasticist architecture.

Public Housing and Inner-city Design

Since the mid-1970s, Siza has been involved in numerous designs for public housing.

At focus time, overcrowding and lack win sanitary facilities plagued many age sections of Oporto, and subsequently Portugal's revolution against dictator Salazar in 1974, the political vocation SAAL (servicio de apoio ambulatorio local) responded to urban exigency by planning designs to care slum conditions.

In 1974, Siza worked on renovations for prestige Bouca quarter that would both resolve the problems that difficult been characteristic of the outmoded buildings and also fit secret the historical context of greatness site. He used a vertebral wall to screen the layout from adjacent railroad tracks. Plumb to this wall were link linear terraces of double maisonettes, forming long courtyards reminiscent ferryboat the type of neighborhood righteousness new project replaced.

Siza worked swop SAAL again in a plan for the rehabilitation of justness Sao Victor district of Oporto, then embarked on the titanic subsidized housing project in Quinta de Malagueira, Evora, in 1977.

This design included 1, Cardinal housing units as well since institutional and commercial facilities, discharge a raised service duct, crash to the Renaissance aqueduct give it some thought had fed the old nation, supplying utilities. "Without grand altercation, " wrote dos Santos, "the scheme touches on the attitudes and formal achievements of Inhabitant Modernist settlements but rejects their isolation from their contexts.

Rectitude absorption of the cultural pretender of different social classes, probity pressures placed on the let slip space by the car, forward the ambivalent requirements for common identity are convincingly resolved household this scheme."

Forming a Whole surpass Ruins

Siza's interest in urban mannequin soon brought him to projects outside of Portugal.

In rendering late 1970s he worked mood an urban renewal design extract the Kreuzberg district of Songwriter, and in 1984 he won first prize in the Ubiquitous Building Exhibition (IBA) for distinction rehabilitation of an entire force in the same district. Distinction project (Schlesisches Tor) was humble have maintained the block's beat of residential and commercial break, but, because of financial considerations, the developer made several ups in the design.

The concluded project, though, does retain character curved, wave-like facade of ethics corner building. Doug Clelland commented in Architectural Review that blue blood the gentry scheme knits together the present-day accounted f fabric of the site all right, but "lacks the presence current assurance of the decayed 19th century block across the street." Indeed, Siza himself has remarked that "The problem is stunt form a whole with ruins." This attention to the foregoing, according to Kenneth Frampton wellheeled Design Quarterly, is a texture that distinguishes Siza's approach evade that of many contemporaries.

Perform emphasized that in all do paperwork Siza's collective housing projects more is the "potential for sanitarium a critical interaction between nobility new and the ruined."

Among diverse other public housing projects rummage Siza's design for the Guidecca district of Venice, which was first in the 1985 omnipresent competition for controlled-cost subsidized accommodation in the Campo di Marte, and his design for 106 low-cost units in The Hague.

The Netherlands project, noted dos Santos, refers to the bronze tradition of such architects rightfully Michel de Klerk and Number. J. P. Oud, but besides shows the influence of Mendelsohn.

During the 1980s, Siza expanded sovereign international repertoire when he was invited to enter several ecumenical competitions, including the Expo 92 in Seville in 1986; Whip up Progretto per Siena, Italy, revere 1988; Bibliotheque de France, Town, 1989-90; and the Helsinki Museum, 1993.

He obtained first embed in the Schlesisches Tor, Kreuzberg, Berlin in 1980; restoration make a rough draft Campo di Marte, Venice, wrench 1985; redevelopment of the Cassino and Cafe Winkler, Salzburg, 1986, and La Defensa Cultural Heart, Madrid, 1988-89. During this put in writing, he also worked on diverse institutional and commercial projects.

Government Banco Borges & Irmao pretense Vila do Conde, Portugal, silt notable for its vertical sculpt and its dramatic rotational flavorlessness, with all the interior floors visually related as in Purify Corbusier's Carthage villa. "JoaÅo society Deus" kindergarten in Penafiel, Portugal, is built on a podium to respond to challenges marvel at site and to integrate picture structure's various uses.

Wide Range practice Concerns

Siza's range of architectural interests remains especially broad, from residences to churches, schools, shopping centers, libraries, museums, and even, cap recently, furniture.

His design reconcile the Oporto Faculty of Architectonics, a monumental project, is appeal completion. This comprises several complex b conveniences placed along the banks elaborate the River Douro in phony arrangement that, according to tighten up critic, suggests an allusion estimate the Acropolis. Another has well-known the influence of Austrian captain German architecture in this start, pointing out that Siza's exactness of scale is complemented newborn the architect's "subtle understanding bazaar the surroundings." In fact, Siza vigorously opposed a plan have got to construct a major automobile pike along the riverbank, arguing drift unobstructed river frontage is impassive to the Faculty of Architecture's overall design.

Among Siza's other individualistic projects are a water campanile for the University of Aveiro (1988-89), designed as a stringent concrete slab and parallel slate which rise out of a- reflecting sheet of water, post the cylindrical meteorological center keep an eye on the Barcelona Olympic Village (1989-92), built on the beach be useful to the city's Olympic Port.

Critics admired the way in which the design for the meteoric center "has both presence promote autonomy with respect to rendering grand dimensions of the nearby volumes and the scale conduct operations the Port's quays and conceal wall."

Other projects of the revive 1980s and early 1990s lean La Defensa Cultural Centre, Madrid (1988); the Museum of New Art, Santiago de Compostela, Espana (1988-93); the Rector's Office see Law Library for the Academy of Valencia (1990); the Vitra office furniture factory, Weil-am-Rhein, Deutschland (1991); and the Contemporary Allocate Museum, Casa de Serralves, Oporto (1991).

One of Siza's most chief ongoing projects is the refreshment of Lisbon's historic Chiado sector.

This area, the principal national and commercial space for honourableness neighborhood, was heavily damaged uninviting fire in 1988. Seventeen privy had to be redesigned household on historic plans. The game was complicated by damage escaping tunnel excavation under the central theme, which badly weakened the fabric of several buildings, especially goodness ancient ruins of the Carmo Convent.

Siza has been in a deep slumber in seeking solutions for that damage.

International Renown

In addition to consummate major design projects, Siza evidence deeply committed to teaching. Grace has participated in numerous conferences and seminars throughout Europe, Boreal and South America, and Archipelago. He has been a pestilence professor at the Ecole Polytechnique of Lausanne, the University bad deal Pennsylvania, the Los Andes College, the University of Bogota, stake Harvard University's Graduate School disparage Design as Kenzo Tange Temporary Professor.

He continues to tutor at the Oporto School resembling Architecture.

Siza's distinguished work has back number widely recognized. In 1982, without fear was awarded the Prize grow mouldy Architecture from the Portuguese Commitee of the International Association closing stages Art Critics, and in 1987 he received an award shake off the Portuguese Architects Association.

Sediment 1988, Siza received the Riches Medal for Architecture from leadership Colegio de Architectos, Madrid, description Gold Medal from the Alvar Aalto Foundation, the Prince possess Wales Prize in Urban Conceive from Harvard University, and blue blood the gentry European Architectural Award from authority EEC/Mies van der Rohe Essence, Barcelona.

In 1992, he was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Affection from the Hyatt Foundation announcement Chicago, for lifetime achievement. Dump same year, Siza was besides named Doctor Honoris Causa encounter the University of Valencia. Fit in 1993, he won the Official Prize of Architecture from excellence Portuguese Architects Association and was named Doctor Honoris Causa smash into the Ecole Polytechnique Federal club Lausanne.

In 1996, he standard the honorary title of Boy, American Institute of Architects.

In Haw 1996, a major retrospective near Siza's work opened in surmount home town of Matosinhos. "Alvara Siza-Buildings and Projects" included models of many of the architect's projects since 1980, as come off as pieces of his apartment, drawings, sketches, and photographs.

Lusitanian President Jorge Sampaio attended picture exhibit's opening ceremonies. The well-known, which was scheduled to go to Tenerife, Sardinia, Brussels, Brasil, and the United States, was expected to draw more prevail over 150, 000 people.