The legacy of architect Enric Miralles is more present than ever in Barcelona. 21 years after his death, the Catalan capital pays tribute to his iconic talent with a series of exhibitions and retrospectives that delve into one of the greatest references of contemporary architecture in our country. Although the cycle of activities, curated by the architect of the Miralles Tagliabue EMBT studio, Benedetta Tagliabue, and Joan Roig, of the Batlle i Roig studio, was planned for 2020, marking two decades since the creator's passing, pandemic restrictions forced them to be postponed until now.
Among the exhibitions that can be enjoyed in the coming months is the exhibition Miralles. Perpetuum Mobile which has just been presented at the Museu del Disseny of Barcelona and will remain until August 29. The exhibition delves into the figure of the multifaceted creator, born in Barcelona in 1955, as a designer, based on a series of unpublished pieces that are exhibited to the public for the first time. These are furniture and objects designed by Enric Miralles for his own home that show the talent and uniqueness of the architect. "We conceived our house as a very intimate part and a place of experimentation where Enric had a lot of fun doing, possibly, the most daring things of his production," comments Miralles' partner and second wife, Benedetta Tagliablue.
"Almost no drawings or documentation of these pieces of furniture were kept since they were developed mainly for our use – points out the architect –. So when the idea of the exhibition came up, one of the doubts was: 'if I bring my furniture to the museum, what do I do, leave my house empty?'" That's when the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) came into play, which, with material donated by AE Maderas, was in charge of reproducing Miralles' original creations using oak, maple, cherry, and tulipwood. In total, more than 20 pieces of a very personal and intimate nature are exhibited, reflecting the ingenuity and at the same time the purity of the work of the Barcelona architect. "Here, the manual experimentation with the woods and the mechanisms to achieve the desired movement is evident," notes architect and curator of the cycle Joan Roig.
Such is the case of the Ines-table (1993) table, whose changing nature offers the possibility of transforming itself from more than 20 different movements; the Lelukaappi (1995) shelving unit, inspired by the work of Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, with an organic and enveloping design; or the Dolmen (1995), Troncs (1998) and Mistery (1999) tables, all of them with a minimum of two positions that allow them to be dynamic with the needs of the moment. All these objects, as well as several lighting elements, are featured in this exhibition whose setting recreates the architect's own home and where the exhibited pieces are also accompanied by drawings, sketches, audiovisual material and plans of his groundbreaking creations. "The exhibition links us to the nostalgia of Miralles' work and his more personal character, but also to the future, understanding his production as something linked to tomorrow, based on prototypes that can be developed in the future," says Joan Roig.
Alongside this exhibition, the Fundació Enric Miralles, with the support of the Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat de Catalunya, aims to bring the work of the prolific Barcelona architect even closer to the general public with the exhibitions Miralles. A quarts de quatre…, in the Saló del Tinell of the Barcelona History Museum until July 4; Miralles. To be continued, valid until December 23 at the headquarters of the Fundació Enric Miralles, and Miralles. Photos & Collages, which can be enjoyed until June 30 at the Arts Santa Mónica.
Throughout his 26 years in the profession, first with his first wife, Carme Pinós, then solo, and later with his second wife, architect Benedetta Tagliabue, Miralles received 62 awards for his work, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 1996 and the National Architecture Award in 1995. A recognition of a body of work that is being reasserted today thanks to this cycle, which will extend throughout the year with other perspectives. Architects, academics, and artists who worked closely with him will be the protagonists of the talks, Miralles. Conversations, which will take place during June at the College of Architects of Catalonia (COAC), including Rafael Moneo, Carme Pinós, and Soraya Smithson. Furthermore, his significant dedication to teaching, in both national and international universities and schools, will also be present in the exhibition Miralles. At school, which will take place at the Superior Technical School of Architecture (ETSAB), from September 22 to November 24.
Miralles's footprint in Barcelona
"The cycle of activities around the figure of Miralles allows us to reassert the role of architecture as a determining element in the design of the city that influences cultural construction and the discourse of urban space," as Xavier Marcè, Councilor for Tourism and Creative Industries, points out. In this vein, the transcendence of Enric Miralles's figure in Barcelona materializes in a series of projects that have left their mark, transforming and revitalizing certain enclaves of the city. Such is the case of the Gas Natural headquarters (1996-2006), a skyscraper that dialogues with Barcelona's coastal profile, the pergolas of Avenida Icaria (1990-1992), Diagonal Mar Park (1997-2002), the reform and rehabilitation of Santa Caterina Market (1997-2005) and, next to the latter, the housing for the elderly in Santa Caterina (2001-2005). All of this based on a unique and expressive language, which makes Miralles's essence more present in the city today.