Álvaro Siza Vieira has been chosen to be the recipient of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement of the 13th International Architecture Exhibition – Common Ground. The decision is made by the Board of la Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta, under Director David Chipperfield’s proposal, with the following motivation:

“It is difficult to think of a contemporary architect who has maintained such a consistent presence within the profession as Álvaro Siza. That this presence is maintained by an architect that lives and works at the extreme Atlantic margin of Europe only serves to emphasise his authority and his status.”

“Since the early appreciation of the Boa Nova restaurant and the swimming pools at Leca de Palmeira and a reputation confirmed by the early houses, Siza has maintained a unique position in the architectural galaxy. This position is full of paradox. Siza has upheld a consistent production of works at the highest level, yet without the slightest hint of the overt professionalism and promotion that has become part of the contemporary architect’s machinery. Apparently running in the opposite direction to the rest of the profession he always seems to be out in front, seemingly untainted and undaunted by the practical and intellectual challenges he sets himself.”

“Secured by his isolated location, he exudes worldly wisdom. Experimenting with forms of extreme geometry he manages to produce buildings of great rigor. Developing an architectural language that is uniquely his, he seems to speak to all of us. While his work exudes the security of judgment, it is clearly intensified through cautious reflection. While we are dazzled by the lightness of his buildings, we feel the seriousness of their substance.”

Alvaro Siza designed his structure  in the gardens of the Arsenale, right next to the pavilion by Eduardo Soto de Moura. This follows the longtime collaboration of the two Portuguese masters.

Siza’s pavilion establishes a relationship with a different aspect of Venice – that of the dense urban environment. It consists of a series of bright red walls amongst the trees and plants of the garden designed for the 12th Biennale in 2012 by Piet Oudolf.

Three faceted walls create  two intimate spaces in the middle of the garden,  a tribute to the compact urban tissue of Venice, which frames particular views of the exteriors of the Arsenale.

Siza’s piece also features a cantilevered canopy that shades visitors as they leave.

Siza’s pavilion evokes the human scale of the streets of Venice, and frames and makes new settings for the trees and planting of the Giardino delle Vergini.

Photo: Miloš Mirosavić, Ivana Popović