Architectural photographer Duccio Malagamba has sent us a selection of his photographs documenting the work of Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza, who was awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in February.
Above: Sport Facilities 'Ribera-Serrallo'
Malagamba describes his experience of photographing Siza's architecture over the past 18 years in this text written for Dezeen:
I fell in love with the architecture of Alvaro Siza once and forever on a sunny summer day of 1984 when I arrived from Italy - with the car that my parents generously lent me - to a ramshackle sea front of the Oporto outskirts.
Above: Sport Facilities 'Ribera-Serrallo'
Without searching it (being a 3rd year architecture student my information was quite poor and I was just looking for the Boa Nova Restaurant), I found the most beautiful swimming pool I had ever seen in my life.
Above: Sport Facilities 'Ribera-Serrallo'
Fulfilled with cheerful children and blurred by the oceans’ waves, the swimming pool in Leça da Palmeira seemed to me a sublime song to Architecture with capital letter: something capable to make homely – and even improve – the Nature.
Above: Santa Maria Church
When, after a few years working as an architect, I decided to devote myself to architectural photography, my interest on Siza production became even stronger and I began to portrait regularly his work.
Above: Santa Maria Church
Meeting him was another highlight in my life as, since then, I got fascinated not only by his work but also by his extraordinary and generous personality.
Above: Santa Maria Church
In the past 18 years I have done my best to freeze the range of sensations that I experienced spending days in the buildings Alvaro Siza designed and I would consider myself satisfied if I have been able to transmit a quantum of the solace I tasted there.
Above: Santa Maria Church
Congratulating the 2009 Gold Medalist for this well deserved new recognition, I look forward to portraiting his next masterpieces.
Above: Ibere Camargo Foundation
Above: Ibere Camargo Foundation
Above: Ibere Camargo Foundation
Above: Ibere Camargo Foundation
Above: Ibere Camargo Foundation
Above: E.S.E. Setubal
Above: E.S.E. Setubal
Above: E.S.E. Setubal
Above: E.S.E. Setubal
Above: E.S.E. Setubal
Above: Mayor Wine Cellar
Above: Mayor Wine Cellar
Above: Mayor Wine Cellar
Above: Mayor Wine Cellar
Above: Multipurpose Pavilion Gondomar
Above: Multipurpose Pavilion Gondomar
Above: Aveiro University Library
Above: Aveiro University Library
Above: Aveiro University Library
Above: Faculty of Architecture, Porto
Above: Faculty of Architecture, Porto
Above: Faculty of Communication Studies
Above: Faculty of Communication Studies
Above: Galician Centre for Contemporary Arts
Above: Galician Centre for Contemporary Arts
Above: Galician Centre for Contemporary Arts
Above: Parish Centre, Marco de Canaveses
Above: Parish Centre, Marco de Canaveses
Above: Parish Centre, Marco de Canaveses
Above: Portuguese Pavilion Expo 2000
Above: Portuguese Pavilion Expo 2000
Above: Public Library Viana do Castelo
Above: Public Library Viana do Castelo
Above: Public Library Viana do Castelo
Above: SAAL Bouça Housing
Above: SAAL Bouça Housing
Above: Santo Ovidio State
Above: Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2005
Above: Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2005
Above: Serpentine Gallery Pavilion 2005
Above: Serralves Foundation
Above: Serralves Foundation
Above: Serralves Foundation
Above: Serralves Foundation
Above: Summer House in Sintra
Above: Summer House in Sintra
Above: Summer House in Sintra
Above: Summer House in Sintra
Swimming pool Leça da Palmeira
Above: Vieira de Castro House
Above: Vieira de Castro House