Architecture comes from both a physical and spiritual need, says award winning architect Carme Pinós

There are no established rules in architecture beyond those requested by the client and imposed by the surrounding environment, says world renowned architect Carme Pinós.

Carme Pinós will give the Melbourne School of Design’s August Deans Lecture, “From the Context”, on Tuesday August 4 at the University of Melbourne’s Carillo Gantner Theatre.

Her approach to architecture is based on the understanding that architecture comes out of observing and reading our surroundings and through this a dialogue is started.  “Architecture is born from a need - physical as well as spiritual. There are no established rules, just the ones that we discover as we understand our surroundings and what is requested.”

“The formal game by which we materialize architecture follows the intentions set by ourselves after interpreting the program, understanding the context. We should be aware of the intentions so that the formal game won’t be empty.’”

Carme Pinós was recently awarded the National Prize of Architecture and Public Space by the Catalan Government for her work.  She has received many other awards during her career including the National Prize of Architecture by the Consejo Superior de los Arquitectos of Spain in 1995 for the Boarding-school in Morella and the Arqcatmón Prize from the Colegio de Arquitectos de Catalunya in 2005 for the Cube Tower in Guadalajara.  She also received professional recognition alongside Enric Miralles with projects including the Cemetery of Igualada (First Prize in the European Biennale of Architecture in Milan 1991). 

She has combined her career as an architect with teaching, including guest professor stints at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard (2003), the Accademia di Archittetura di Mendrisio, Switzerland (2005-2006) and most recently, the Universitá di Roma Tre (2007-2008).