Duccio Malagamba has been capturing Álvaro Siza's buildings in his photographs for more than 30 years. Now they are juxtaposed with the Pritzker Prize winner's hand-drawn sketches in a new illustrated book. ‘Siza Malagamba. Before After’ by Phaidon shows 20 buildings worldwide in sketches and in architectural photos.
Ribera Serrallo Sports Complex, Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain, © Álvaro Siza
Sketches and Ideas
Álvaro Siza's sketches are breathtaking. They convey a clear idea of spaces with just a few lines. And they show the atmosphere of places that don't even exist yet, because they first have to be built. The Portuguese Pritzker Prize winner and architect has been sketching his ideas for future buildings for many decades. The quick sketch is the beginning of the design process, and Álvaro Siza is a master of this genre, which is increasingly dying out in the age of CAD and computers. The Portuguese designer's famous sketchbooks are regarded as works of art in their own right, independent of the built architecture. Individual sheets are occasionally exhibited in international museums and can be found in the permanent collections of renowned institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Light and shadow
The relationship between the sketches and the realised buildings is obvious, but never before has it been captured as comprehensively and impressively as in this book. Italian photographer Duccio Malagamba has accompanied Álvaro Siza's projects around the globe since 1993, documenting them in calm shots as pure architecture. What was initially conceived as a sketch is shown in Malagamba's photos in concrete spaces and places. They are usually devoid of people and drawn with sharp contrasts – Malagamba also has his own language, which is reflected in his architectural photographs. Light plays around individual surfaces and alternates with shadow zones. Clear edges draw curved and straight lines - views and vistas allow the eye to wander into the distance.
Álvaro Siza and Duccio Malagamba. Photo courtesy Duccio Malagamba
„In the end, architects always work on the same project“
The close friendship and collaboration between Siza and Malagamba is the reason for this richly illustrated hardcover volume published by Phaidon. It shows hand-drawn sketches and architectural photographs of 20 buildings worldwide on sturdy art paper. The selection of projects is like travelling the world: from the wonderful Leça swimming pools in Portugal to the architecture museum on the island of Hombroich near Neuss or the Iberê Camargo Fondation Museum in Porto Alegre, Brazil. All projects are illustrated in texts, some of which are somewhat brief. A conversation between the photographer and the architect reveals the self-image and working methods of both artists. ‘In the end, architects always work on the same project,’ says Alvaro Siza. The Portuguese architect is now 91 years old - his buildings and sketches are as young as when they were conceived.
Sandra Hofmeister
„Before / After. Álvaro Siza and Duccio Malagamba“, Hardback, 320 pages, 330 images, 320x240 cm, ISBN 9781838668181, Phaidon, London 2024
