Architecture

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.

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: E.S.E. Setubal

Above: Mayor Wine Cellar

Above: Multipurpose Pavilion Gondomar

Above: Aveiro University Library

Above: Faculty of Architecture, Porto

Above: Faculty of Communication Studies

Above: Galician Centre for Contemporary Arts

Above: Parish Centre, Marco de Canaveses

Above: Portuguese Pavilion Expo 2000

Above: Public Library Viana do Castelo

Above: SAAL Bouça Housing

Above: Santo Ovidio State

Above: Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2005

Above: Serralves Foundation

Above: Summer House in Sintra

Swimming pool Leça da Palmeira

Above: Vieira de Castro House

Architecture

Selected projects by Álvaro Siza
photographed by Duccio Malagamba

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