Aires Matues 2002-2018 (El Croquis Special Issue)

2018

Bringing together material published on the Portuguese architect duo of Aires Mateus from 2002 until the present, this special volume features more than 40 exemplary buildings and projects. From the Lisbon Central Library and Santa Maria Lighthouse Museum, to an Islamic Centre in Bordeaux, multipurpose building in Dubai, Santo Tirso call centre, thermal baths in Serra da Estrela, and numerous residences and homes, it covers a broad range of scales and typologies. In addition, the publication includes two interviews with Aires Mateus by fellow architects Ricardo Carvalho (RCJV Arquitectos) and Emilio Tuñón, and essays by Juan Antonio Cortés and Luis Martínez Santamaría.

Brandlhuber + 1996-2018 [Brandlhuber+] (El Croquis 194)

2018

This monographic instalment features the work of Arno Brandlhuber, one of the most intriguing European architects today. Known for his various collaborative practices involving an array of people – architects, artists, writers, filmmakers, musicians – and an oeuvre rich in cultural references, Brandlhuber stands for a discursive practice. He brings together individuals who represent the new creative class which has become increasingly crucial for cities everywhere, and he believes in their ability to develop new, more diverse and flexible lifestyles. This special issue includes essays by Bart Lootsma and Moritz Küng, and features a selection of 20 exemplary projects.

Tham & Videgard Arkitekter 2005-2017 (El Croquis 188)

Swedish architecture studio Tham & Videgård is the focus of this issue, which includes a conversation with the architects and Michael Meredith, plus an essay by Juhani Pallasmaa, “Dualities and Singularities”. It features more than twenty projects, among them many of the intelligently designed houses for which Bolle Tham and Martin Videgård have become widely recognised, and the firm’s versatility is expressed through additional works, such as the popular Mirrorcube (Tree Hotel in Harads), the School of Architecture in Stockholm, Åhléns Department Store, new buildings for the University of Gothenburg, Västra Kajen Housing, and the Moderna Museet Malmö.

David Chipperfield 2006-2014 (El Croquis 150+174/175)

2016

A reprint of the magazine’s sold-out numbers 150 and 174/175, this special hardback edition is the definitive publication on David Chipperfield’s recent work. Featuring more than 40 projects, plus two conversations with Chipperfield (with Juan Antonio Cortés and Emilio Tuñón, respectively) and critical essays, the volume compiles high-profile public buildings alongside lesser known private works. Beginning with Berlin’s Neues Museum, it goes on to encompass the range and diversity of Chipperfield’s output in the 21st century, from museums and corporate headquarters to fashion outlets and private residences. An unmissable addition to any architect’s library.

AMID.CERO9 / MOS 2010-2016 (El Croquis 184)

2016

In this instalment, the focus is on two of today’s progressive practices: Spain’s AMID.cero9 and New York-based MOS Architects. Featuring recent work from the past several years, plus critical essays by the architects and others, a revealing image and comparison of the two architect duos emerges. Seven projects by AMID.cero9 are explored in depth, including the Fuente Santa Spa, Pavilion for Sharjah Biennial 11, and the Clunia Archaeological Site Visitor Centre. A variety of more than twenty projects by MOS Architects also appears, among them private homes, pavilions, mixed-use buildings, and more, including an art historian’s library and Hawai’i Presidential Center.

Jean Nouvel 2007-2016 Contemporary Reflections (El Croquis 183)

2016

In this special edition on recent work by Jean Nouvel, the period since just prior to his winning the Pritzker Prize (2008) until the present moment is reviewed in rich detail. Nineteen projects are featured, reflecting the variety of scales and typologies in the architect’s oeuvre. Among them are works in the Middle East, such as the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the National Museum of Qatar, but also the Danish Radio Concert House in Copenhagen, City Hall in Montpellier, housing in Chelsea, Bordeaux, Barcelona, and Sydney, and the recently completed Philharmonie de Paris. Through an exceptional collection of photographs and drawings, each speaks of Nouvel’s versatility and rigour.

SANAA 2011-2015 (El Croquis 179-180)

2015

SANAA (Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates) takes centre stage in this special edition, which focuses on the past four years of the Japanese architects’ practice, since winning the Pritzker Prize in 2010. Notable featured works include Louvre-Lens, Hitachi City Hall, and Grace Farms Cultural Center. The issue also presents a number of projects by the partners’ own firms, Kazuyo Sejima & Associates and Office of Ryue Nishizawa, respectively. Critical texts by Mark Wigley, Federico Soriano, and Beatriz Colomina accompany an interview with the two acclaimed architects.

Lacaton & Vassal 1993-2015 Post Media Horizon (El Croquis 177-178)

2015

This instalment of the magazine is dedicated to the work of Paris-based architects Lacaton & Vassal. Covering more than two decades of work, it gives special consideration not only to their methodology and ideals as these have matured through the years, through critical analysis by Arnoldo Rivkin and Juan Hereros and an interview with the architects, but also to an extensive selection of exemplary projects. Among the 26 featured works are the Nantes School of Architecture, FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais, Guangzhou Museum, Le Grand Sud Polyvalent Theater in Lille, housing projects in Paris, Saint Nazaire, Mulhouse, and Bordeaux, plus several private residences.

Eduardo Souto de Moura (El Croquis 176)

2015

This special issue reviews sixteen recent projects by Eduardo Souto de Moura, who was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 2011. Notably diverse, the featured works include the conversion of a municipal market into the Braga Music School, a house in Ponte de Lima, a residential building in Cantareira, the Zhengzhou Towers, a multi-purpose pavilion in Viana do Castelo, the Uitzicht Crematorium, an environmental complex and dwellings in Sete Cidades and more. Also in this issue, a conversation with the architect and José Morales and a critical essay by José Antonio Cortés.

MVRDV 2003-2014 (El Croquis 173)

2014

In this special issue, famed Dutch architects Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Nathalie de Vries, collectively known as MVRDV, take centre stage. Based in Rotterdam, the office has had its fingers on the pulse of global solutions to contemporary issues in architecture and urbanism for two decades and counting. Featuring detailed profiles of more than 20 top projects, including Copenhagen’s Gemini Residences, Busan Cinema Complex, Gangnam Shopping Centre, the new Market Hall in Rotterdam and Parkrand Apartments in Amsterdam, plus an essay by Aaron Betsky and a conversation with MVRDV and Charles Bessard and Nanne de Ru of Powerhouse Company.

Steven Holl 2008-2014 (El Croquis 172)

2014

This special issue features 25 recent projects by acclaimed American architect Steven Holl, many of them in China. Besides his widely published Sliced Porosity Block in Chengdu, the magazine also profiles designs for the Glasgow School of Art, the Campbell Sports Centre, arts centres at Princeton University and Virginia Commonwealth University, the HEART Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, the Knut Hamsun Centre, V&A Dundee and the ecology and planning museums in Tianjin Eco-city, among others. The issue includes a conversation with Holl and Sol Madridejos, Juan Carlos Sancho and Antón García Abril, plus an analytical essay by Thomas de Monchaux.

Selgascano 2003-2013 (El Croquis 171)

2014

Spanish architects Jose Selgas and Lucia Cano are perhaps best recognised for the tunnel-like glass office they work from in the woods outside Madrid, but this special instalment casts its net more widely to cover the duo’s practice during the last decade. Besides an interview with the architects by Enrique Walker and essays by Ryue Nishizawa and the architects themselves, the pages feature more than 20 notable projects. From 55 dwellings in Amsterdam, Casa La Canaria and an eyewear shop in Cartagena, to their contribution at the 13th Venice Biennale and the renovation of Texas Square in Oranjestad, the projects are colourful, varied and, above all, imaginative.

Alvaro Siza 2008-2013 (El Croquis 168/169)

2013

The acclaimed Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza Vieira takes centre stage in this instalment, with special focus on works completed over the last five years. In total, 26 diverse projects are detailed, from the China International Design Museum and Camilo Study Centre to wineries in Quinta do Portal and a spa in Pedra Salgadas. The issue includes a biography of the master architect along with an essay by Juan Antonio Cortés analysing eleven architectural issues in the work of Siza.

Joao Luis Carrilho da Graca (El Croquis 170)

2013

After completing his studies in Lisbon, João Luís Carrilho da Graça continued lecturing for many years at the Technical University of Lisbon, all the while building a reputation with his monolithic volumes and pragmatic architectural vision. This edition focuses on work completed between 2002-2013, featuring eighteen exemplary projects, from residences and schools to museums and public buildings. Besides an interview with the architect, an essay by Juan Antonio Cortés explains how territory and landscape play a role in his oeuvre. Notable works include the Lisbon Cruise Terminal, Candeias House, Belém Palace Archive, Carpinteira Pedestrian Bridge and more.

Smiljan Radic 2003-2013 (El Croquis 167)

2013

Chilean architect Smiljan Radic is the focus of this issue, which reports on the last ten years of his work and includes a special interview by Enrique Walker, plus an analysis by Alejandro G. Crispiani. A diverse selection of more than 20 notable projects is covered in detail, among them the Copper House, Mestizo Restaurant, Chilean House 1 & 2, and ‘The Boy Hidden in a Fish’, a sculpture presented at the 12th Venice Architecture Biennale.

Caruso St John 1993-2013 (El Croquis 166)

2013

Out of print, NEW in publishers shrinkwrap! This issue examines the range of projects embarked upon by Adam Caruso and Peter St John over the past two decades, a spectrum that reveals the singularities in their work, showing how the architects take advantage of unique opportunities to accomplish something different in each circumstance. Besides an extensive interview with Caruso St John and text by Pier Vittorio Aureli, more than twenty defining works are highlighted in detail through numerous texts, drawings and photographs, among them New Art Gallery Walsall, Basel Ozeanium, Nottingham Contemporary, Bremer Landesbank and the V&A Museum of Childhood.

Sean Godsell 1997-2013 (El Croquis 165)

2012

In 2002, ‘Wallpaper’ magazine listed Australian architect Sean Godsell as someone destined to change the way we live. His ‘Future Shack’ (1999), constructed from shipping containers, drew international attention, and he has since garnered numerous awards. This monographic edition of ‘El Croquis’ explores Godsell’s work, which is primarily rooted in his belief in the power of architecture to help the less fortunate. A craftsman at heart, the fact that he is demanding and exacting in both the logic and execution of his designs is clear. Besides an in-depth focus on ten significant projects, the issue includes an interview with Leon van Schaik and a critical text by Juhani Pallasmaa.

Glenn Murcutt 1980-2012 - Feathers of Metal (El Croquis 163-164)

2012

An Australian architect and winner of the 2002 Pritzker Prize, Glenn Murcutt developed his appreciation for vernacular architecture early on. Documenting more than 30 years of his career, the numerous houses and other projects highlighted in this monograph confirm the respect and appreciation for simplicity and small-scale building Murcutt has earned. From the Magney House and Fletcher-Page House to the Arthur and Ivonne Boyd Education Centre and a new mosque for the Newport Islamic Society, all aspects of his work are detailed. “A Conversation with Glenn Murcutt”, by Sean Godsell, and the essay “Feathers of Metal”, by Juhani Pallasmaa, complete the volume.

RCR Arquitectes [Architects] 2007-2012: Poetic Abstraction (El Croquis 162)

2012

The focus of this edition of ‘El Croquis’ is the Spanish office RCR Arquitectes. Presenting an extensive overview of their work during the past five years, the magazine also includes an essay by Josep María Montaner and an interview with the architects by William Curtis. Explore a variety of projects by RCR such as the La Lira Theatre public space, the La Cuisine Art Centre, a school in Font Romeu, the meeting point in La Fosca, the New Sants station complex and many others.

Mansilla + Tunon 1992-2012 (El Croquis 161)

2012

In a special in memoriam edition of El Croquis, the life and work of this exemplary pair of architects is celebrated in over 400 pages. With the passing of Luis M. Mansilla in 2012, Spain lost one of its premier architectural visionaries. Following an introductory essay by Juan Antonio Cortés entitled ‘Activated Geometries’, the publication examines the very active and influential legacy of this office. Among the numerous projects included are the Castellón Museum of Fine Arts, the Swimming Centre in San Fernando de Henares, the City of Madrid International Convention Centre and the Citadel in Logroño, along with several texts and an interview with the architects.