A conversation with Ricardo Devesa

[Originally published in Mark Magazine #58] Ricardo Devesa is editor in chief of Actar, a Barcelona-based publisher known for books … More

Size Isn’t Everything

[Originally published in Mark Magazine #57] It’s been said that the most difficult thing to design in architecture is a … More

The Art Studio-Museum

[Originally published in Oris Magazine #92] Situated on the distant side of the forested hillcrest that overlooks Barcelona, the Arranz-Bravo Studio … More

Brutal Underground

[Originally published in Mark Magazine #54] Barcelona has a problem: too many motor vehicles occupy too much space and fill … More

A Response to Marc Kushner’s ‘A New Golden Age of Architecture’

[Originally published on medium.com] Dear Marc Kushner, Like yourself, I also want people to love architecture. But unlike yourself, I don’t … More

Observations on Attitude

[Originally published in Log Journal #32] Visiting “Fair Enough,” the satirical exhibition in the Russian Pavilion, I was reminded of … More

Carme Pinós Honours the Pillar

[Originally published in Mark Magazine #52] Our Lady of the Pillar, Zaragoza’s 17th-century baroque basilica, is dedicated to the Virgin … More

Groupies

[Originally published in Mark Magazine #51] We’ve all heard of ‘selfies’. What about ‘groupies’? During the opening of the 14th … More

Criticism 2.0, or Nobody Likes a Critic when Everyone’s a Critic

[This text originated as a talk at the CICA Critical Juncture symposium session “Architectural Criticism Now” in February 2014 at the … More

Reality Check: Spain

[Text originally published in Mark Magazine #50] Revisiting architecture is always a good thing to do, especially when the work … More

Destination: Barcelona’s Renaissance Fira Hotel

[Originally published in Azure, May 2014] The elevator soars up the Hotel Renaissance Fira Barcelona, and my knees buckle beneath … More

B720 Corners the Flea Market

[Originally published in Mark Magazine #48] With its beginnings dating back to the 14th century, Barcelona’s flea market La Fira de Bellcaire (also known … More

Spanish Steps

[Originally published in Azure, Nov/Dec 2013] One thing becomes immediately apparent when approaching MediaLab-Prado. There is no confusing old with … More

Sociability Generator

[Originally published in Azure, October 2013] Gràcia, with its narrow streets and the atmosphere of the former village still intact, … More

A Barcelona Hotel gets Graphic

[Originally published in Azure, September 2013] For Pau, its new hotel in Barcelona, the Room Mate group sought an interior … More

Learned from Las Vegas: DHUB Design Museum, Barcelona, by MBM

[Originally published in Mark Magazine #45] This building is important. It occupies a prominent site at the intersection of three of … More

Product Placement / Emplazamiento publicitario

Product Placement [Originally published in Arquitectura Viva #153 under the title “Marcas y contextos”. Translation: Eduardo Prieto] “Designed by Apple … More

Going Slowly: Cadaval and Solà-Morales

[Originally published in Mark Magazine #39] “Young architects” is a culturally loaded term, often conjuring notions of rebellion, utopian idealism, … More

Ill-Fitting: The Balenciaga Museum

  Fashion, Architecture, Politics: Image is Everything The inauguration of a cultural institution is normally a cause for widespread celebration; even … More

Quietly Brilliant: Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos

[Originally published in Mark Magazine #35] Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano are truly architects’ architects. They may not be a … More