Current Work
Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano | Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos
Recorded: October 28, 2015
Founded in 1985, Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos has offices in Madrid and Berlin. The richly textured work of the firm is recognized for its sympathetic response to the topography and historical attributes of place, qualities lauded in the citation for the Alvar Aalto Medal awarded to the firm in 2015: “The roots of their architecture lie in Spain, and its multi-layered history and culture. Their works speak a silent language, proving that the precondition of meaningful architecture is an in-depth understanding of local culture and the context of the design brief.”
The firm’s Current Work lecture, titled “Five Themes,” reflects the interrelationship between five simple architectural elements within their work: ground, as a landscape or as part of a city; roof, as a reaction to modern architecture and its relationship to the skyline; void, as a definition of space and interstitial space; fragment, as it relates to the idea of memory and the past; and pattern, as a reference to variations on an overall theme.
In their lecture, Nieto and Sobejano discuss the following works:
Moritzburg Museum, Halle, Germany | 2004-2008
Kastner & Öhler, Graz, Austria | 2005-2016
Joanneumsviertel, Graz, Austria | 2006-2013
Madinat Al-Zahra Museum, Córdoba, Spain | 1999-2009
San Telmo Museum, San Sebastian, Spain | 2005-2011
Hotel Königshof, Munich, Germany | 2013-2016
Barceló Centre, Madrid, Spain | 2007-2014
Temporary Market, Madrid, Spain | 2007-2008
Bogenhausener Tor and Einstein Towers, Munich, Germany | 2009-2016
Contemporary Art Centre, Córdoba, Spain | 2005-2013
Guangzhou Science Museum, Guangzhou, China | 2014-2016
The Current Work series invites significant international figures who powerfully influence contemporary architectural practice and shape the future of the built environment to present their work and ideas to a public audience.
