Casa Vilaró lingers in purgatory. It is so certain of its past but knows nothing of its future. In the neighborhood of La Salut in Gràcia, Barcelona, the pioneering 1930 rationalist house by Sixte Illescas awaits judgement. In what feels like an unfulfilling function for a work of such historical significance, the shabby glamour of the rooms, which currently serve as a hotel, feel like they can offer us more.
The residency in Casa Vilaró was undertaken following the invitation by Fundació Mies van der Rohe. It was part of the Creative Europe project Artists in Architecture: Re-Activating Modern European Houses, in partnership with University of Naples Federico II (Naples) and BOZAR (Brussels), which seeks to ‘unlock diverse issues related to the preservation, adaptation and (re)activation of European architectural heritage.’
Pigmented MDF, steel plinths,
dimensions variable
Photography: © Jóse Hevia
With thanks to Ariadna Perich, Anna Ramos, Ivan Blasi, Fernando Setien, Valeria Aristizabal, Pau Gelpi, Toni Girones, Oriol Puig, Carme Rossello.
Artists in Architecture: Re-Activating Modern European Heritage (2020)
Newspaper published by Fundacio Mies van der Rohe. Essays by Ben Weir, Ana Ramos, Ivan Blasi, edited by Ariadna Perich, photography by Antoine Espinasseau.
