I am impressed by the comparison of architecture with a tree or a garden. Whether it is the influence of the economy or the notorious fashion, in architecture cycles of decay and prosperity replace each other. Just as in nature crocuses bloom in early spring, daisies in summer, and chrysanthemums in autumn, styles and preferences in architecture also change. It is perhaps no coincidence that a retrospective of the works of Spanish architect Angel Fernandez Alba will take place this summer at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Madrid, in an 18th century greenhouse pavilion. This expressive structure, built by the outstanding neoclassical architect Juan de Villanova, is now used for art exhibitions that fit very organically into the environment of the ever-flowering garden.
This retrospective celebrates Alba's career as a successful practicing architect. Here you can see a variety of painstakingly detailed layouts, artful drawings, photographs, videos, as well as a series of canvases inspired by the diversity of nature and specially created for this exhibition by Alba's wife and his partner, Soledad del Pinho Iglesias.
After graduating from the School of Architecture in Madrid in 1970, Angel Fernandez Alba studied at the Barlett School of Architecture in London and trained in the United States. On his return to Spain in 1976, he founded his own architectural studio in Madrid. Alba is known for projects such as Spanish embassies in Stockholm and Helsinki, large hospitals, university campuses, museums, cultural centers, theaters, libraries, wineries, greenhouses, social housing estates and single-family homes. Alba also curates art and architecture exhibitions. Among them are exhibitions of modern architecture and exhibitions of works by Pablo Picasso, Le Corbusier, Eric Mendelssohn, Konstantin Melnikov, Alvar Aalto, Alvara Siza and Marimekko. In 2008, Angel and Soledad were curators and designers of the Spanish Pavilion at the 11th Venice International Biennale of Architecture.
Before our interview, which took place in the architect's office in Madrid, we visited the Prado Museum, renovated by Rafael Moneo in 2007, together. This experience allowed me to see how Alba is attentive to detail. I myself like to look at buildings. But I would not stop in the middle of the street and literally freeze, peering at specific transitions from one material to another, or counting the bricks between the windows, trying to unravel various interpretations and intentions. This is what Angel does, and with what passion!
Vladimir Belogolovsky: You must be very happy that your exhibition will be held in the garden. This is a great metaphor for the evolution of architectural design. How do you represent your exhibition?
Angel Fernandez Alba: It is really very pleasant that my projects will be exhibited in the botanical garden, because as a child I lived in a wonderful house in the outskirts of Salamanca. The house was surrounded by a huge garden, which my mother looked after with love. Gardening is learned through work. This exhibition does not seem to me to be a complete retrospective of my career. I try to learn something new in each of my projects, but sometimes I don't have enough time to just enjoy my own work. This exhibit will allow me to return to some of my projects and enjoy them.
VB: Many visitors to the exhibition cannot be counted among the connoisseurs of modern architecture. How would you explain your architecture to a lay public?
AFA: I would emphasize the importance of materials and geometry. This is what everyone understands. I like to use raw materials like wood or steel in my projects. With the help of such materials, you can demonstrate how the building is constructed. Centuries have passed, but architects still consider the same elements important - they want to express ideas using different building materials. Sometimes, we, architects, can tell history using methods that have their origins in the past, and sometimes we switch to a modern and high-tech language. In my architecture, I like to use both familiar techniques and completely new ones.
VB: But you not only design buildings, but also design exhibitions. How did this hobby begin?
AFA: This is how it all started. My first exhibition was held here in Madrid and was dedicated to the life and work of William Morris, an English architect, furniture and textile designer, artist and writer who lived in the 19th century. The exhibition was made with very modest funds, but it turned out to be very successful, and for another two years it traveled to different cities.
VB: Let's talk about your family - your father - a builder and older brother Antonio, a famous architect.
AFA: My father, Antonio Fernandez Alba, was a builder. Today he would be called a developer. He owned a large construction company. My father was a very strong personality. Architecture turned out to be a difficult choice for me, since my father knew the profession and the industry from the inside. He has built many residential developments in Salamanca and Madrid. My brother, also Antonio Fernandez Alba, is 18 years older than me. He is one of the most important architects and educators in Madrid. When I was a child, he was already a famous architect and professor at the Madrid School of Architecture. Antonio became the first architect in the family and was a model for me, as I dreamed of becoming an architect from early childhood. On the one hand, living in such a family, I had a great advantage. On the other hand, it was very difficult for me to find my own professional voice, because wherever I was and no matter what I did, I felt the presence of my father and brother all the time. That is why, immediately after graduating from university, I decided to leave the country. For six years I have traveled, studied and worked in the UK and USA.
WB: You went to America to find work with Louis Kahn, but you arrived in Philadelphia a few months after his untimely death. What do you value in its architecture?
AFA: It seems to me that in those years all the students were followers of Kahn. He was immensely popular in the 1970s. In a sense, Kahn was my second father. I believed his judgment and his architecture unconditionally. He was very convincing and his language was very natural. Kahn's buildings have mystical power and tranquility. I loved these works even more when I got the opportunity to visit them. The same thing happens with my own buildings. I mean, reality adds an experiential dimension that photographs cannot convey. When I look at Kahn's buildings, I try to imagine how he worked and played with the material, with complex spatial compositions, solid volumes and the spaces in between. I always work especially hard with spaces. It is clear that the entire program is distributed entirely inside buildings. Spaces between buildings, however, may or may not exist. However, this is precisely what makes architecture strong, and in his case great.
VB: Give an example of how you play with spaces.
AFA: When I start to create another project, the shape of the site is not the main thing for me. Some architects subordinate their designs to the shape of the site. I do not set myself such a task. I know what I want. If a certain geometry is present, I will use it. But I'm not worried about specific shapes.
VB: You didn’t manage to meet Kahn, but you did meet Robert Venturi, famous for his attacks on modernism. He was very close to Kahn and was also his assistant in the workshop and at the University of Pennsylvania. Tell us about your meetings with him.
AFA: Since I didn't get to work with Kan himself, I tried to meet people who knew him well. Sometimes I fantasized about what choice Kahn himself would make in a given situation, and sometimes I consulted with his students. I met Venturi several times in the same restaurant where he often visited with Kahn. I loved Venturi's outstanding book, "Complexities and Contradictions in Architecture." Ever since I discovered his projects and texts, I have not stopped following him closely. Even as an independent architect, I have always pondered his critical ideas. I regard Venturi as an artist and historian who talks about his ideas through his own buildings. His works have always inspired me - not literally his forms, but their resonance and severity. Unfortunately, his work does not attract enough attention from today's critics. Although, I think it deserves it.
VB: Let's talk about Spain. Do you think there is such a thing as Spanish architecture?
AFA: I'm not sure about that. It may be easier to build something here than elsewhere. It just so happened that Spanish architects have a lot of control in construction. Spain is very open to everything new and provides the widest possible opportunities. Previously, we had to travel to see good architecture. Now people come to us for this. This contributes to the emergence of our own talents. For many years we have been looking for inspiration in the North. Many architects, myself included, look to the Nordic countries for their poetic and minimalist organic architecture. My brother Antonio often visited Finland both himself and with his students. He was one of the first to strive to establish strong ties with the North and, of course, he brought to Spain the essence of Finnish architecture, especially clearly expressed in the work of Alvar Aalto.
VB: You curated the Spanish Pavilion at last year's Venice Biennale, and like no one else you know what young Spanish architects are doing today. How would you rate the state of Spanish architecture and the recent changes in it?
AFA: Our pavilion in Venice consisted of two main parts. First, the projects of venerable architects who have been creating beautiful architecture for many years, but whose creativity remains in the shadows on the international arena. I'm talking about names like Juan Navarro Baldaveg, Victor Lopez Cotelo, Joseph Linas, Luis Clotet, etc. Soledad and I wanted to pay tribute to these wonderful craftsmen. The second part of the exhibition included experimental projects by young Spanish architects.
VB: Did these experienced architects build something outside of Spain?
AFA: Juan Navarro built while others did not. He built a musical theater on the Princeton University campus about ten years ago.
VB: He is an amazing architect. Its ability to shape volumes, frame spaces and masterfully control the penetration of light into buildings is a delight. He is a true artist, and his recently completed Teatro del Canal in Madrid is an excellent confirmation of this. What do you think of young architects? Are they also equal to the North or are they attracted by something else?
AFA: They are discovering something new. It seems to me that they demonstrate a wide range in the experimental search for flexible forms. Compared to my generation, I think that in the future the difference between the various schools of the world will be felt less and less. People are largely influenced by images, and images are available everywhere today.
VB: What other architects could you name who influenced your own creativity? What are you starting from? Architects such as Alvar Aalto, Alvaro Siza, Rafael Moneo are close to you in spirit … What attracts you to the works of these masters, and how do you transform their findings in your own work?
AFA: We architects often do what has already been done before us. The main question for me is how to transform what I find attractive in the work of other architects. Sometimes it is necessary to immerse yourself in a certain mood, being in which you would work and think in the same direction without copying or repeating anything. There are many architects who influenced me with their ideas, not specific projects. Of course, I am close to Alvar Aalto, Sverre Fen, Eric Gunnar Aspland, James Sterling. I also learn a lot from cities and landscapes. Most of all, I love to pay tribute to the artists who I like organizing and designing their exhibitions. Projects like these provide excellent research opportunities.
WB: Finnish critic and architect Juhani Pallasmaa wrote about you: "Angel's projects can be mistaken for the work of a Finnish architect, and very good." Tell us about your relationship with Finland.
AFA: Finland is my second home. The first time I was there as a student. I was literally stunned by the architecture of Aalto. My second visit was completely different from the first, and the third was different from the second. And so I continued to go there again and again. I discovered the architecture of Aalto. I love the sensuality of his architecture and the aura of his buildings. They blend in so well with their surroundings. Its architecture is always fresh and vital. Without a doubt, he is my biggest inspiration. I continue to learn from him all the time. Its details are very natural. Nothing gives the impression of being taut. Everything is very precise, balanced, I would say perfect. Aalto was a real inventor. Even when he made mistakes in planning or in details, it was so beautiful that no one doubted that they were conscious.
VB: Do you think that architecture should carry some semantic messages? I think you took such ideas from Robert Venturi. What is your position on the fact that there can be meaning in forms? For example, the image of a boot often appears in various projects of yours, or one of your houses has the features of a human face - it is kind or angry on different sides of the chimney. And, of course, the huge nine, painted at the entrance of the famous Venturi beach house, which magically, in a smaller version, was transferred to the facade of your office here in Madrid …
AFA: (Laughs) You know, it seems to me that Alvar Aalto said it, that we do a lot instinctively, and then we try to find an explanation for this. We play with things like this in our office and I love it. I think that if you do not enjoy what you are doing, it is terrible. Venturi said that you have to forget about everything you know about architecture in order to come up with something new. I think so too. We stop working on the project because the deadline is running out. Otherwise, we architects could continue indefinitely. I like to play with the meanings in my projects. The Venturi coastal home had a huge 9 so that it could be seen from the beach. In my office, she is more of a symbol, a kind of hint.
VB: House number 9 is the address of your office. You deliberately looked for such an address in the area, didn't you?
AFA: Yes, I've always liked number 9, and a few years ago when I was looking for a larger office space, I really thought about it. But, you know, if the room next door - which is number 11 - were free, we probably would have chosen it, because there are not so many addresses at number 9 in this area. It was a stroke of luck. I liked this place. It was free and it was just wonderful.
VB: What project in your career gave you the most pleasure?
AFA: It seems to me that the building of the Faculty of Law in the city of Alcala. It was a struggle because it was necessary to combine the new and the old in one project. My brother was working on the renovation of an existing building, and I was designing a new building. As a result, we ended up with a good project, perhaps the best in my practice.
VB: Do you think that the projects that you have created over the years are somehow related to each other?
AFA: They are all different, but it seems to me that we, architects, are working on a single project throughout our careers, because a lot repeats itself against the background of various details of specific conditions. For example, in hospitals, the most important thing is circulation. Then comes construction, shapes, and so on. Function, construction, materials, these are what define the character of each project, but the same thing happens in any project. This is what I mean when I say that I work on the same project all the time. One project ends, another begins, but we continue to solve the same problems - each time trying to improve our solutions. You can never completely rely on the solution of the previous problem, so we revise our solutions and come to new ones.
VB: We started our conversation with the Royal Botanic Gardens, where you have created a number of projects over the years. How do you see this place?
AFA: Good question. This beautiful garden provides a unique retreat. You can come here with a newspaper or a book to enjoy your morning or afternoon. And yet I am thinking of new possibilities for the townspeople to open this garden and transform it into a kind of continuation of the magnificent Retiro City Park, located nearby. By the way, Retiro means "pleasant haven." The architecture should be nice. I would say - like a walk in the park.
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After so many conversations with architects, I finally hear that architecture should be nice! Not focusing our gaze, not drawing attention to unusual things, not being philosophical and rhetorical, but simply being pleasant. Can this really be enough for people, architects, critics?.. But isn't it not pleasure we strive to get from life? Why doesn't architecture make this an important goal? Let not the only one, not the main one, but all the same.
