During the late 1900’s, Spain encountered a new spirit and sense of optimism, one phase of which was ushered in by Franco’s dictablanda. This new leniency allowed for more freedom in not only politics or social constructs, but also architecture. One very obvious example of this optimism in architecture is illustrated through Miguel Fisac’s bone architecture.
Miguel Fisac searched for innovative ways to create architectural and structural details. His bone-like structures varied in size depending on the building, but Fisac’s architecture always embodied a natural sense of structure, due to his continued use of hollow prestressed concrete. His groundbreaking developments regarding material and detail during the postwar period associate him with the modernization of Spanish architecture. This paper will argue that his work has done so by influencing work of architects to follow him such as MVRDV and Ensamble Studio.
In order to support this argument, drawings and writings of Fisac himself will be utilized as primary sources, whereas works published by others such as Javier Barrallo and Santiago Sánchez-Beitia and Sofia Balters will be used as secondary sources. These documents will illustrate the clear similarities between the work of Fisac and the work that followed him, proving that his work has influenced specific projects that fall into the category of modern Spanish architecture.
Jessica Schultz is a Senior Architecture student at Kent State University. She is exploring in the areas of architectural research and historic preservation while continuing to uphold honors standing at KSU. She is currently applying for graduate school and maintaining a position at Strollo Architects in Youngstown, Ohio. She plans to graduate and continue to work in the region until she earns her license to practice architecture.