One of the foremost Spanish architects of his time, Alejandro de la Sota (1913-1996) made an important and enduring contribution to architecture in Spain through his teaching, as well as his built work. Many of his followers count him amongst the leading European architects of his generation, and works such as the Civil Government Building in Tarragona (1956-61) and the Maravillas Gymnasium in Madrid (1960-62) have become key influences for subsequent generations of architects worldwide. The relative isolation of the Spanish regime under Franco proved a barrier to the international dissemination of de la Sota’s work until later in his career and he remains less well known in Britain than elsewhere.
Eminent historian William Curtis will present an historical overview of de la Sota’s career. Architect William Mann, Witherford Watson Mann, and de la Sota's son Alejandro de la Sota Jr will then give their reflections and responses to the work of de la Sota. Following this there will be a panel discussion with the speakers, chaired by Prof. Judi Loach, Chair of Docomomo UK. You can explore the digital archive of de la Sota's work here.
This event is organised by Docomomo UK with support from the Instituto Cervantes and the Fundación Alejandro de la Sota.
