Roca in the world
The workshops held at the Roca Madrid and Barcelona Galleries were aimed at analysing the most important innovative solutions that architects can contribute to stimulating the market.
Shared by - Mriganka Banikya
The Mexican architectural landscape: a shared Spanish-Mexican vision was the title of the event that gathered together leading architects from Mexico and Spain to seek opinions and a knowledge exchange between the two countries.
The event brought together Jorge and Arturo Arditti, Javier Sordo Madaleno, Mauricio Rocha and Francisco Serrano, leading figures in Mexican architecture, for the first time in Spain. The Spanish architects present at the Roca Madrid Gallery included Carlos Lamela and Alejandro Bueso- Inchausti, while the Roca Barcelona Gallery enjoyed the presence of Carlos Ferrater, Roberto Terradas, Ramon Sanabria and Olga Felip, the latter recently honoured with the AJ Award for Emerging Woman Architect of the Year, granted by British publication Architects Journal.
Some key conclusions
Carlos Lamela explained how “one of the most important aspects is that landscaping is taken very seriously in Mexico. This has a lot to do with the humanity present in the country, in terms of both materials and labour force”.
Additionally, brothers Jorge and Arturo Arditti noted the differences between Spain and Mexico, pointing out that, “one very significant difference between the two countries is that, in Mexico, architectural aesthetics are in the hands of political interests. Historically, in Spain, architects have been respected figures in the social order, while in Mexico there is a problem stemming from the acceptance of architects in society”.
For his part, Francisco Serrano highlighted the fact that, “until recently, foreign architects have not played a significant role in our country. At the beginning of the 90s, it was also unimaginable that the works of Mexican artists could be present in large buildings and prestigious museums like the MoMA (New York’s Museum of Modern Art). Thanks to the globalisation of culture and its communication networks, Mexican architecture has found a voice and a profile on the world stage”.
Architect Carlos Ferrater stressed that, “in our work, we view light as one of our differentiating and characteristic attributes, and this is something that we also have in common with Mexican architecture, which also regards it as being of key importance”.
Institutional support
The Mexican architectural landscape: a shared Spanish-Mexican vision also enjoyed the participation of representatives from Mexico’s leading institutions, as well as those from Spanish architecture. The session held at the Roca Madrid Gallery was attended by Ximena Caraza, Director of Proméxico España, Francisco Javier Ramírez Acuña, Mexican Ambassador to Spain and José Antonio Granero Ramírez, President of COAM, the Madrid Institute of Architects. At the Roca Barcelona Gallery were Norma Ang Sánchez, Head Consul at the Mexican Consulate in Barcelona and Lluís Comerón, President of COAC, the Catalan Institute of Architects.
The symbiosis between the different representatives of contemporary architecture allowed for discussion on the potential for cooperation between architects from the two countries, and not just between Mexico and Spain, but also on the possibilities of partnerships with other markets.
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