

Selected projects by Álvaro Siza photographed by Duccio Malagamba
Architectural photographer Duccio Malagamba has sent us a selection of his photographs documenting the work of Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza, who was awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in February.


Above: Sport Facilities 'Ribera-Serrallo'
Malagamba describes his experience of photographing Siza's architecture over the past 18 years in this text written for Dezeen:
I fell in love with the architecture of Alvaro Siza once and forever on a sunny summer day of 1984 when I arrived from Italy - with the car that my parents generously lent me - to a ramshackle sea front of the Oporto outskirts.


Above: Sport Facilities 'Ribera-Serrallo'
Without searching it (being a 3rd year architecture student my information was quite poor and I was just looking for the Boa Nova Restaurant), I found the most beautiful swimming pool I had ever seen in my life.


Above: Sport Facilities 'Ribera-Serrallo'
Fulfilled with cheerful children and blurred by the oceans’ waves, the swimming pool in Leça da Palmeira seemed to me a sublime song to Architecture with capital letter: something capable to make homely – and even improve – the Nature.


Above: Santa Maria Church
When, after a few years working as an architect, I decided to devote myself to architectural photography, my interest on Siza production became even stronger and I began to portrait regularly his work.


Above: Santa Maria Church
Meeting him was another highlight in my life as, since then, I got fascinated not only by his work but also by his extraordinary and generous personality.


Above: Santa Maria Church
In the past 18 years I have done my best to freeze the range of sensations that I experienced spending days in the buildings Alvaro Siza designed and I would consider myself satisfied if I have been able to transmit a quantum of the solace I tasted there.


Above: Santa Maria Church
Congratulating the 2009 Gold Medalist for this well deserved new recognition, I look forward to portraiting his next masterpieces.


Above: Ibere Camargo Foundation


Above: Ibere Camargo Foundation


Above: Ibere Camargo Foundation


Above: Ibere Camargo Foundation


Above: Ibere Camargo Foundation


Above: E.S.E. Setubal


Above: E.S.E. Setubal


Above: E.S.E. Setubal


Above: E.S.E. Setubal


Above: E.S.E. Setubal


Above: Mayor Wine Cellar


Above: Mayor Wine Cellar


Above: Mayor Wine Cellar


Above: Mayor Wine Cellar


Above: Multipurpose Pavilion Gondomar


Above: Multipurpose Pavilion Gondomar


Above: Aveiro University Library


Above: Aveiro University Library


Above: Aveiro University Library


Above: Faculty of Architecture, Porto


Above: Faculty of Architecture, Porto


Above: Faculty of Communication Studies


Above: Faculty of Communication Studies


Above: Galician Centre for Contemporary Arts


Above: Galician Centre for Contemporary Arts


Above: Galician Centre for Contemporary Arts


Above: Parish Centre, Marco de Canaveses


Above: Parish Centre, Marco de Canaveses


Above: Parish Centre, Marco de Canaveses


Above: Portuguese Pavilion Expo 2000


Above: Portuguese Pavilion Expo 2000


Above: Public Library Viana do Castelo


Above: Public Library Viana do Castelo


Above: Public Library Viana do Castelo


Above: SAAL Bouça Housing


Above: SAAL Bouça Housing


Above: Santo Ovidio State


Above: Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2005


Above: Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2005


Above: Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2005


Above: Serralves Foundation


Above: Serralves Foundation


Above: Serralves Foundation


Above: Serralves Foundation


Above: Summer House in Sintra


Above: Summer House in Sintra


Above: Summer House in Sintra


Above: Summer House in Sintra


Swimming pool Leça da Palmeira


Above: Vieira de Castro House


Above: Vieira de Castro House