b-guided > Barcelona

b-ing Architecture

Coderch's Legacy / Remembering Coderch

MINIM / Poldo Pomés

15.12.14

José Antonio Coderch (1913 – 1984) is one of the most important Spanish architects and designers of the 20th Century. He established his architectural practice together with Manuel Valls in Barcelona two years after completing his studies. During the following years Coderch designed numerous projects in Barcelona and its surroundings. His buildings are among the most important examples of modern architecture in the city and are as relevant today as they were when they were constructed, some of his most renowned buildings include; Las Cocheras (1958-1973) Barceloneta Apartment Building (1951), Edificios Trade (1965), Architectural Faculty (1978) or the French Institute (1972).

"La Herencia de Coderch" (the legacy of Coderch) is an exhibition organized by the design showroom MINIM, showcasing the last project designed by this most important exponent of the post Spanish Civil War architecture and who still remains a key figure today. In order to coincide with the exhibition MINIM has also produced a documentary entitled "Remembering Coderch", directed by Poldo Pomés and with which architects like Oriol Bohigas, Carlos Ferrater, Oscar Tusquets, Federico Correa and Rafael Moneo have participated.

  • Casa Ugalde, Barcelona

    Casa Ugalde, Barcelona - 1953

  • Capilla de Coderch

    Capilla, fireplace designed by Coderch

     

    "La Herencia de Coderch"

    The exhibition features 12 panels displaying the surviving documentation relating to the project, its antecedents and a digital recreation of the concept. The exhibition also recreates a typical Corderch interior space, which includes a collection of personal objects belonging to Coderch on loan from his family such as the Llambí folding shutters, the Capilla fireplace, the Safari chairs from his Espolla house, his pipe collection, carefully labelled music collection, his books, cards and whiskey …

     

  • José Antonio Coderch

    Portrait of José Antonio Coderch

    The exhibition layout is reinforced by the poetic recreation of two objects that obsessed Coderch over his professional career. The roller window shutter blind which insulates, provides views, ventilates and filters natural light, and the lamp that lights and marks the centre of the home. In fact, one of the most striking elements of the exhibition is a giant reproduction of the Disa lamp, designed by Coderch in 1957 and which has since become a design classic.

  • La Herencia de Coderch

    View of the "La Herencia de Coderch" (Coderch's Legacy) exhibition

    The exhibition features an unfinished project, an innovative concept that Coderch worked on for many years, whose documentation had been mislaid or incorrectly archived which has now been rediscovered for this exhibition. The project "La Herencia" (The Inheritance) uncovers the architects’ search for the ideal apartment dwelling layout, one that is flexible, where each unit is capable of varying its dimensions and configuration through the sharing of space with its adjoining neighbours both in plan and section.

  • Family house in Espolla

    The Coderch family house in Espolla

    The exhibition aims to show the investigative process of an indefatigable Coderch in his search for the optimum apartment layout for human habitation. The intention behind "La Herencia de Coderch" is to illustrate this innovative and clever idea which is as relevant today as it ever was.

  • Coderch with Bohigas

    José Antonio Coderch with Oriol Bohigas

    "Recordando Coderch" (remembering Coderch), by Poldo Pomés

    The film "Recordando a Coderch" (Remembering Coderch) is an intimate portrait of the architect as a human being. Directed by Poldo Pomés, who put together a series of monologues from people who worked with Coderch, who knew him, or who have made significant contributions to the study of his work. Avoiding the usual clichés, there appears the portrait of a man deeply loved and respected by those who knew him well. An intimate portrait of a complex, straight, sometimes austere, always honest, free, generous and transparent individual with counts on the collaboration of, among others, Federico Correa, Óscar Tusquets, Oriol Bohigas, Carlos Ferrater and Rafael Moneo.

  • Disa lamp

    View of the overscaled version of the Disa lamp

  • La Herencia de Coderch
  • From 27 November to 30 January
  • La Herencia de Coderch
  • Via Agusta 185, 08021
  • www.minim.es
  • The film "Recordando a Coderch" (remembering Coderch), by Poldo Pomés will be on view every Tuesday at 6PM at Minim, except January 6th.
  •  
  • MINIM,
  • Edificio Monitor, Vía Agusta 185
  • 08021 Barcelona
  • 93 272 24 25
  •  
  • www.minim.es