A SENTIMENTAL MONUMENTALITY

Since the very beginning of their career, Barozzi / Veiga came onto the scene with a language that is both archaic and contemporary. A language that is as unseen as it is familiar. Projects of very different nature and scale—such as the Ribera del Duero Council in Roa (Spain), the Ordos private residence in Mongolia, or the Szczecin Philharmonic Hall in Poland—share a resonance with elements of ancient architecture and character of local buildings while producing something completely new. The search of Barozzi / Veiga is a resistance against obsolescence, the fourth dimension of sustainability. If reducing overall energy to produce things might ultimately make the best building the one that is not built at all, an alternative path to sustainability would be to make things last. Their work reveals a maturity that sends a powerful message to young architects, proving that freshness does not require levity or disaffection.
The late Argentinian architect Rafael Iglesia once wrote — in reference to a group of young architects who designed a French-style residential tower after a promising career that had begun with a winning museum entry — how sad it was to see a person die young. Barozzi / Veiga may be the exact opposite case: how heartwarming it is to see young architects committed to an architecture that is able to transcend.