2009 International Stone Architecture Award--Civil Government Offices In Spain

Project: Civil Government Offices, Tarragona, Spain (1957)

Architect: Alejandro De La Sota (1913-1996), Madrid, Spain

Primary stone material: local stone
 
Jury comments

“The Civil Government building is one of the most important of 1950s and 1960s architecture, not just in Spain but worldwide. During those years, with architecture — and Spanish culture in general — dominated by Franco’s repression, the De La Sota building can be seen as an attempt to reconnect to the modern architecture that preceded the Civil War. It is not, however, a simple nod to the past. It is also a way to reconnect to broader European currents, in particular those that consider modernity in relation to an area’s architectural tradition and use of local materials.”

“From this perspective, the use of stone is essential for this building. On the one hand, it serves as cladding for the facade, in a combined structural and aesthetic composition. On the other, inside the building, it offers a vast range of textures and colors — from glossy black stone to rough limestone —in distinct combinations and compositions of full and empty forms.”