Expert showcase: the XIII Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism opens its doors

The XIII Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (BEAU), Spain’s home-grown architectural celebration, has just opened at the Palace of Charles V of the Alhambra in Granada. The biennale, showing the best of the best of Spanish architecture from the last couple of years, includes a variety of work that spans heritage, urbanism and innovation, as well as research and outreach work.

Brought together under the title ‘Alternatives/Alternatives’, the large scale exhibit – the biennial’s 13th edition – shows 89 Spanish works that have been carefully selected by an expert jury from a rich pool of some 450 architectural projects and 32 publications, exhibitions, scholarly articles and blogs. Student work in the country is also well represented through the presence of top-of-the-class thesis projects.

The offerings range in scale and scope tremendously – from small-scale interventions and single-family houses, to larger public and civic work. However, they all share a common thread: excellence in design, flying the flag for great contemporary Spanish architecture.

Seen in its impressive architectural venue and Granada's magical surroundings, the event is a collaborative effort, directed and curated by local architects Begoña Díaz-Urgorri, Juan Domingo Santos and Carmen Moreno Alvarez.

Following up on Spain’s success at the Venice Architecture Biennale, where the Spanish pavilion scooped this year’s prestigious Golden Lion award, ‘Alternatives/Alternatives’ will be on show in Granada until October. Future plans include the display travelling to New York and then further afield internationally.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism’s website