Between Spain and Kuwait. The influence of Modernity The idea of a museum of modern art in 20th-century Spain, and the possibility of an equally modern architecture to house it, was a project that was advanced and frustrated, time after time, until the arrival of the current democratic period. The institution of the Museum of Modern Art in Spain dates back to 1894. It was … [Read more...]
Vivero Ilustrado. A proposal for the Square of the Duchess of Osuna
During the 18th century, the Dukes of Osuna owned up as much as 180 hectares of land in the northwest of the city of Madrid. In that area they built the Palacio del Capricho, an aristocratic country property surrounded by a large garden, the sole Romantic park in Madrid, as well as other buildings such as stables and the service house. Today, next to the Palacio del Capricho … [Read more...]
Mirador del Egüés. Bioclimatic dwellings in the Ecocity of Sarriguren
Valle de Egüés is a municipality located in the metropolitan area of Pamplona, north Spain, composed by several small towns. The capital of this valley is Sarriguren, a eco-friendly urban area settled in 1998. This eco-city is a pilot initiative of bioclimatic architecture and urbanism. In 2000, it was classified as "Good Practice" by the United Nations Centre for Human … [Read more...]
Life as architectural performance
Architecture atlas. The Eames: choreographing domestic life The designer couple Ray y Charles Eames lived in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, in a small, sunny home made of steel and glass and surrounded by trees. The iconic example of Modern domestic architecture, today considered a landmark of Los Angeles, began in the early 1940s. At that time, the couple of designers had … [Read more...]
Spaces of living: urban reflections of Kuwaiti society. A research project on residential architecture in Kuwait
One of AGi architects’ main areas of practice is residential architecture. The office has designed a large number of their projects in Kuwait City, where domestic space must accommodate very diverse lifestyles and inhabitants. The projects that AGi architects develops are based on an understanding of the society and the context in which they are located, both locally and … [Read more...]
New Residential Projects
AGi architect is currently designing a new set of residential projects located in an area of great geographic scope, going from the Iberian Peninsula and the Mediterranean Coast, to the Middle East. Landscape and climate are protagonists, to address a sustainable architecture that empowers wellbeing. Marassi Villas form a Premium Luxury development in Egypt … [Read more...]
Swimming pools. A private splash
A few weeks ago we wrote about Art Deco swimming pools, built in the 30s and 40s, now we write about modern and postmodern pools that took the good feeling of going swimming to the garden of single-family houses. Photograph of a swimming pool in Beverly Hills taken by Joe Scherschel for LIFE magazine in 1960. In 1960, LIFE magazine sent Joe Scherschel to photograph … [Read more...]
Nuevos Ministerios Art Center for the collection of ENAIRE Foundation
The arcade of Nuevos Ministerios —la Arquería— was conceived by Secundino Zuazo as a mediating filter between the urban space and the garden of a new ministerial complex. Recently an architectural competition has been called to create an Art Center in the Archery, in which the proposal by AGi architects has received a second prize. Nuevos Ministerios sketch of … [Read more...]
Do you want to swim or not? Seven Art Deco swimming pools
Nightswimming, remembering that night September's coming soon I'm pining for the moon The lyrics of the 1992 song Nightswimming, by the American music band REM, say that swimming is better on a quiet night. They evoke an unforgettable bath once the sun has set. They make us imagine the sensation of going into the water, the image of the clothes forgotten close to … [Read more...]
Stories of the staircase: a journey through stairways’ role in architecture
Staircases are one of the richest architectural elements in terms of formal possibilities, one of the most complex to solve geometrically, and one of the most demanding at the functional level. In the architecture of AGi architects, staircases usually acquire an important role, as they are an opportunity to define a special transit between floors. The staircase is thought as a … [Read more...]