7th BIA brings to São Paulo some of the greatest representatives of contemporary architecture

Famous names and new talents of world architecture are in the guest list for 2007 Biennial

As it became a tradition in great architecture events, the Exhibition of Invited Foreign Architects will also be one of the 7th São Paulo’s International Biennial of Architecture (7ª BIA) atractions. The event will be organized by the IAB (Institute of Architects of Brazil) and São Paulo’s Bienal Foundation from November 10th to December 16th.

In this year’s edition will be exhibited works from 17 architects carefully selected by the event’s organization. Among the guests are professionals internationally awarded and with works linked with the Biennial theme: the interactions between public and private spaces.

From Asia, the 7th BIA will exhibit South Korean Moongyu Choi and Japanese Shuhei Endo – considered one of the masters in steel architecture today – projects. From Europe, the visitor can look at projects like German Stefan Eberstadt’s, Swiss Emanuel Christ’s and Christoph Ganenbein’s and Spanish Vicente Guallart’s and Joan Busquet’s ones.

Participation of architects like Chileans Mathias Klotz and Alejandro Aravena prove the power of Latin American architecture contemporaneity. Besides, the work of architects like American Steven Holl and British Michael Hopkins with buildings projected not only in their native countries, but in around the world, show the faces of a globalized architecture.

See a bit more about the foreign architects invited for the 7th BIA:

European audacity and tradition
The Spanish architect and urbanist Joan Busquets will bring his experience in urban renovation projects. He was the author of Barcelona urban renovation, awarded with the European Special Prize of Urbanism, the Veronica Hudge Prize for Urban Design, from Harvard University, and the Royal Medal for Architecture, awarded by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Opened in 1976, the British Office Hopkins Architects, commanded by architect Michael Hopkins (1935), is responsible for constructions built not only in Englad, but around the globe. Among them, it’s possible to highlight Emirates residential condo (2003), in Dubai, result of concept mixture between contemporary architecture and traditional Arabic details; and the Shin-Marunouchi Tower (2007), in Tokyo, a mark in Japanese capital skyline. In 2007, Hopkins won two important project biddings: the new Cultural Centre os Nicosia (Cyprus) and the Velopark, a London 2012 Olympic Games venue.

With a work based in architecture, nature and new technologies, Vicente Guallart (1963) is one of the most influents Spanish architects today. Among his most important projects are the Denia Cultural Centre (2003), in Mediterranean coast city of Alicante, which includes the preservation of a Moorish castle, and the Sociópolis urban plan (2003-2005), in Valencia, which propose a new model of urban development in which buildings and multifunctional facilities are integrated with the agricultural zone around them.

Swiss Emanuel Christ (1970) and Christoph Gantenbein (1971) are partners in Christ & Gantenbein Architects office. In spite of their young age, both are already known in Europe by elegant and pragmatic projects, specially in houses and residential buildings. The retrofits are another important area for the office. An example of that is the project for the Swiss National Museum, in Zurich.

SHL (Schmidt, Hammer & Lassen) is commanded by architects Morten Schmidt (1956) and Bjarne Hammer (1955) and have headquarters in Denmark, Norway and England. The group have recently been selected by Westminster University (England) to project its campus in London based in sustainable techonologies and solutions. Other SHL peculiar work was the Halmstad City Library, in Sweden, awarded in the Nordic country as a model of good practice in architecture.

With provocative and sculptoresque projects, Stefan Eberstadt (1961) works in Munich (Germany) where teaches at Academy of Fine Arts. In parallel with Eberstadt’s academic career, his projects can be seen all around Germany. The most famous of it is the Rucksack Haus, attached in September 2004 in a Leipzig residential building façade. The sculpture, wich is also habitable, consists in 2,50 x 2,50 x 3,60 m box supported by cables. It has been called “backpacking house” and may be installed anywhere, according to the owners’ wish, as Eberstadt has idealized.

The 7th BIA visitor can know the works of Austrian Gernot Hertl, chief of Hertl Architekten. His projects reflexes the office philosophy, based in a fluid language, not limited just in occupying a space or attending to a function. In Austria, Ebu Zahra House, in Luftenber, and Krammer House, in Waidhofen, are examples of this kind of elegant architecture, in which right angles and lines have remarkable presence.

Founded in 1999, Plasma Studio is an architecture and design office based in London (England). Under the command of Eva Castro and Holger Kehne, Plasma has works published in the whole world – as the audacious Hotel Puerta America, in Madrid (Spain). Besides, the office has been choosen for the Olympic Village for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Free from conventions, the architects Dominique Jakob (1966) and Brendan MacFarlane (1961) explore digital technology and materials that allow them to increase the interaction user-environment. They work together since 1992 in Jakob + MacFalane office, based in Paris (France), and have important projects like the T House (1998), in Garenne Colombes (Paris suburbs), and the George Pompidou Centre restaurant (2000), in Paris. This and other works from the French double have already been exhibited in London, Moscow, New York, Tokyo and, now, can be seen by the Brazilians, too.

Based in Rotterdam (Holland), ONL office is commanded by Dutch architect Kas Oosterhuis and Hungraian plastic artist Ilona Lenard. Among their achievements, deserves special mention the Hessing Cockpit (2005), an industrial construction in Utrecht (Holland) know by the large use of glass and steel. The building has futuristic forms and stays very close to a highway. For that reason, the project demanded innovative solutions in acoustic protection.

Language from the Americas
Internationally awarded, American Steven Holl conciliate the activities with offices in New York and Beijing with an academic and writer career. In 1996, he earned the Progressive Architecture Award; in 1998, the National AIA Design for the Chapel of Saint Ignatius, in Seattle; and, in the same year, received de Alvar Aalto Medal. Among his projects, the Museum of Contemporary Arts, in Finland, and the expansion of Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, in Kansas City can be underlined.

Winner of Borromini Award 2001 in under-40 architects category, Chilean Mathias Klotz (1965) emerge in Latin American architectural scene as one of the most important representatives. His work put him in the second generation of modern movement architects, what can be seen in Colégio Altamira (2000) in Santiago (Chile). In this project, Klotz used a simple and efficient conception, wit four buildings placed in the land borders to free the center. An empty interior has been created, making possible the admiration of the landscape with the Andes at the horizon.

With more than 100 projects from interiors and houses to office buildings and historic monuments restorations, Pascal Arquitectos office is commanded by Mexican partners Carlos (1956) and Gerard Pascal Wolf (1954). Together, they have been awarded in several countries and created projects like Casa de Meditación (2006), Sheraton Hotel (2003) and Centro Comercial Pedregal (2002), all three in Mexico City.

About Urban Think Tank (UTT) office, it’s possible to say it’s the result of a multidisciplinary globalized interaction. Based in Venezuelan capital Caracas, it has among his leaders the American Alfredo Brillembourg (1961) and the Austrian Hubert Klumpner (1965). Author of works as anglican Catedral de Santa María (2004-2005), in Caracas, the group has the philosophy to offer innovative solutions developed from knowledge of engeineering, architecture, urban and environmental planning and communication.

Important name in Latin-American architecture, Chilean Alejandro Aravena divides his own schedule in office activities and teaching. The proximity with the academy leaded him to specialize in school and university projects. Among hist works are the Medical and Mathematics Colleges in Catholic University of Chile (UC). For this project, Aravena was finalist of Mies van der Rohe Award. Another famous project is the Torres Siamesas (2005), in Santiago (Chile), erected in glass with termal-acoustic special solutions inside the UC campus.

From the other side of the world
Based in Seoul (South Korea), GA.A Architects is one of the most important offices in the Eastern today. Under the lead of Moongyu Choi (1961), GA.A works in building projects and urban planning. Among its the most important works are the Hansook Che ong Memorial and the Pre-Historic Museum of Jeongok.

Japanese Shuhei Endo (1960) is known in the whole world as the architect of the steel. This title explains itself by the unusual possibilities Endo create from this material in his projects. The steel assumes twisted, wave and even organic forms. Winner of severam awards, like the 9th Venice’s International Biennial (2004), Endo constantly questions in his projects the separation between interior and exterior. In his portfolio, there is a series of houses and buildings erected with halflecture structures, constructed only by continuous galvanized steel stripes and characterized by ambiguous spaces and large openings.

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