The Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza received one of architecture’s most prestigious prizes, the Royal Gold Medal. As part of the Royal Institute of British Architect’s (RIBA) celebrations for its 175th anniversary, Siza was presented with the award by Her Majesty The Queen at a private audience at Buckingham Palace, followed by a celebratory dinner held in his honour at the RIBA.

Awarded in recognition of a lifetime’s work, the Royal Gold Medal is approved personally by Her Majesty The Queen and is given annually to a person or group of people whose lifetime’s work has had a significant influence on international architecture.
The honour recognises the impact Siza has made on architecture; he is a major figure in European architecture who has remained true to his artistic and ethical principles and achieved a prolific portfolio of work worldwide, which remains rooted in his native city of Porto.

Sunand Prasad, President of the RIBA said:

“Álvaro Siza is simply a profoundly complete architect who defies categorisation. The forging of a masterful and seemingly inevitable architecture out of the possibilities of a site is one of the supreme characteristics of Álvaro Siza’s architecture. He manipulates his readings of place into sculptural forms that are never predictable or ordinary, yet are never allowed to dominate over use or typological intelligibility.
In Siza’s buildings, perhaps like no others, it is the relationships between the elements of the architecture that is given primacy rather than the shape or texture of the elements themselves. This is an architecture in which an economy of expressive means is combined with an abundance of spatial revelation.
Álvaro Siza is, and always has been, a committed teacher and educator. He has enabled many younger architects to gain commissions through the work he was initially offered and this selflessness is one of many examples of his commitment to the greater architectural project, rather than to personal success. Unusually for an architect of such international standing, Siza has deliberately kept his studio small to ensure his attention to every project. He is generous with his appreciation of other architects.

For the inspiring and instructive body of work he has produced over 40 years, and for his immense contribution to architecture through dialogue and teaching, the RIBA, on behalf of H. M. the Queen, is honoured to present the 2009 Royal Gold Medal for Architecture to Álvaro Joaquim Melo Siza Vieira. We wish him many more years of fulfilment of his unique vision of the possibilities of building.”

The Mimesis Art Museum for publishing company Open Books is Álvaro Siza lastest and greatest Korea move

arq|a january 2009

A edição da revista portuguesa Arq/a de Janeiro, mostra em primeira mão o projecto da Igreja em Portalegre de João Luís Carrilho da Graça. Brevemente no últimasreportagens um portfolio completo, da obra recente deste arquitecto.

The January edition of the Portuguese magazine Arq/a shows first-hand the church project in Portalegre by João Luís Carrilho da Graça. A complete portfolio of this architect’s recent works will appear shortly in últimasreportagens.

Link: Daniel Carrapa (blog barrigadeumarquitecto) sobre JLCG Arquitectos

Novo número da revista 2G dedicada a Paulo David onde se apresentam os seus projectos mais conhecidos como o centro das artes Casa das Mudas, piscinas do Atlântico e o restaurante e passeio marítimo das Salinas. São mostrados também diversos projectos recentes como a reordenação da baia da Câmara de Lobos, as grutas de São Vicente ou as casas do Bom Sucesso em Óbidos, Portugal.
ão na sua maioria disponíveis no ultimasreportagens (reportagens 5, 79, 124, 139, 258 e 259) tendo sido fotografados em diversas sessões nos últimos 4 anos.
Fotografias inéditas da Casa das Mudas, fotografada em exclusivo para esta edição, no próximo update do ultimasreportagens.

Latest issue of 2G magazine dedicated to Paulo David and his best-known projects like the Casa das Mudas Art Centre, the Atlântic swimming pools, and theSalinas Restaurant and costal promenade. Recent projects are also shown including the reorganisation of Lobos Bay, the São Vicente caves and the Bom Sucesso homes in Óbidos, Portugal.

Zaragoza Bridge Pavilion
“When we wrote our review of The Zaha’s furniture show last fall we got a press kit that included renderings …”

Casa Monte na Comporta, Portugal
“Casa Monte na Comporta in Grândola, Portugal…”

Pedro Gadanho Home
“Bold use of color has never frightened the 40-year-old, Lisbon-based architect Pedro Gadanho…”

House in Martinhal / ARX
“This house is located in Sagres (Algarve), the furthest southwest location in Portugal….”