35+ Building
Democracy: 35 years of social architecture in Spain
This exhibition at the Leventis Municipal Museum in
Nicosia, presents a number of representative works
from the period 1978 - 2008, focusing on the way in
which architecture encompasses and interprets
political changes brought about the Spanish
Constitution of 1978. Visitors will find themselves
at the point where architecture of politics and
society converge and will be taken on a
chronological tour of buildings and infrastructure.
The exhibition at
the Leventis Municipal Museum will be on from 15
June to 29 August 2010.The unique identity of each
reveals the architect, the contractor and the time
and budget required to complete the buildings. The
exhibition seeks to explain the correlation between
building a democratic and social state and creating
public and social goods in the recent history of
Spain. Health, housing, education, transport,
sports, culture and the environment are all elements
used in the buildings and infrastructure that
transform the Spanish landscape and the quality of
life of its citizens. Democracy is not legitimised
only by citizen vote, but also by its ability to
provide public commodities. To that end,
architecture plays an indispensible role.
The exhibition is
organised by the Leventis Municipal Museum with the
collaboration of the Embassy of Spain in Cyprus, on
the occasion of the Spanish presidency of the
European Union and has travelled already to several
other European capitals.
''35 years of social
architecture in Spain is a small, intense and
anthological exhibition which demonstrates the
attitudes that have determined the last 35 years of
democracy in Spanish architecture.
The exhibition will help us to better understand
this era, now that the passing of time has engrained
the most outstanding buildings on the collective
memory.
We are not attempting to specifically analyse each
of these buildings; rather, to simple reflect on
each particular contribution within its context and
assess the work of the most prolific creators.
Every year it is led by a work which is complemented
with others that best profile the panorama or trends
of that year, thus building an astounding
kaleidoscope which alters according to how it is
viewed.
The information intends its visitors to be compelled
to critically reflect: the single image and display
of the creating architect being an efficient
instrument for interior revelation, thus
facilitating the discovery, study and vigorous
exploration of a rich and fascinating period that
continues to be so today''.
Antonio Ruiz Barbarin and Héctor Barrio Domínquez
Organising architects
The Leventis Municipal Museum
15 - 17 Hippocrates Street,
Laiki Yitonia, Nicosia 1500, Cyprus
Email: info@leventismuseum.org.cy
Phone: 22661475
