Selected projects by Álvaro Siza photographed by Duccio Malagamba

23 May 2009

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.