Enric Miralles

A recognition that was developed in 2021 offering a multifaceted look at his professional career in his facets as a creator, architect, designer, photographer and teacher.

Barcelona was the nerve center of a tribute organized by the Foundation bearing his name. The activities were curated by Joan Roig and Benedetta Tagliabue, this latter as professional and personal companion of the acclaimed architect.

With the support of the Generalitat de Catalunya, in collaboration with l’Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura (ETSAB) and the Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC), the tribute not only recognized all
the work of Miralles and valued his legacy but, for the first time, we
were able to enjoy the unpublished sample of various objects designed throughout Miralles’ life for his own use such as ‘Dolmen’,  ‘Troncs’, ‘Tropical’ or the ‘Lelukaappi’ shelf. The pieces were reproduced and displayed thanks to the support of the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC).

Also the ‘Inestable’ table, the most brilliant and complex piece in his portfolio. “This table is the size of a room. It is a piece that allows you to wrap yourself around yourself”, Miralles said. The origin of the Inestable was commissioned by the Le Magazine gallery in Grenoble. Made up of several tops that can rotate until they are vertical, the table features secret drawers and lecterns to facilitate reading. Its operation involves two continuous movements: extract and rotate. According to Miralles himself, “this piece is like a survival kit: with this, a kitchen and a bathroom, you can live.”

Known as an architect with a great creativity, Enric Miralles was defined as the enfant terrible of Spanish architecture during the decade of 90s. He died prematurely in Sant Feliu de Codines on July 3, 2000, at the peak of his professional career.

His work as an independent architect began in 1985. In the first creative stage, together with the architect Carme Pinós, he created some of his most poetic works, such as the Igualada Cemetery. In 1993 he founded the EMBT studio with his wife, Benedetta Tagliabue. Together they carried out major projects such as the remodeling of the Santa Caterina Market of Barcelona or the Scottish Parliament. In 1995 he was awarded the National Architecture Prize and, in 1996, he received the “Golden Lion” at the Venice Architecture Biennale

Author of overwhelming buildings, he combined a genuinely new language with a deep respect for the environment. Miralles left behind an exuberant architectural world and a prolific intellectual work: writings, drawings, sketches, photomontages, diaries and almost a thousand original models that have finally received a well-deserved tribute.