Amann, Cánovas, and Maruri’s Eclectic Realism

The studio led by Atxu Amann, Andrés Cánovas, and Nicolás Maruri (Temperaturas extremas) is a peculiar “office of architectural services” in its own way. Just compare the wooden shrine that makes up the Arab Wall Museum in Murcia, the perforated corten steel defining the complex volume of the visitor center in Monteagudo, and the intricate geometry of the roof of the Roman ruins in Cartagena, composed of a structure of steel, perforated metal sheet, and polycarbonate. Alternatively, consider the galvanized iron and expanded mesh structure of the footbridge thrown over archaeological remains in Murcia, the metal cage in the Roman Curia Museum, the exposed concrete enclosing the underground spaces, both in Cartagena, and, finally, the fabric covering of the pavilion of the Dubai 2020 Expo. Comparing these projects is enough to realize the extraordinary versatility of this Madrilenian studio. But this is not just about technical expertise, something clearly has to do with the “genetics” of contemporary Spanish architecture: on this topic, «Spanish architects have always approached every architectural theme», as Fabio Guarrera writes in his clear-eyed introductory essay, «with eclectic realism, turning specific opportunities into starting points of contemporary design». For A.C.M. studio, this means giving design responses – even with stylistic differences – to address the various issues posed by functions and sites without bias. As Fabio Guarrera points out, this entangles being «independent from a preset stylistic idea». Leafing through the projects illustrated in these pages indeed suggests something elusive, refractory to our taxonomic mania of labeling authors according to their stylistic witticisms.

The works of the A.C.M. studio, Fabio Guarrera's essay, Emilio Tuñon's introduction, and Maria Argenti's beautiful afterword also suggested to me other things related to teaching architectural design today. Amann, Cánovas, and Maruri are professors at ETSAM in Madrid. Furthermore, all three were born in the early 1960s, with a firmly twentieth-century background. Yet, the academic world's theoretical research does not imprison them in granitic certainties atrophying their design versatility, unlike it is often the case. On the contrary, their extraordinary openness to contemporary architectural experimentation seems surprising. Moreover, they work in a group: few things prevent pursuing stylistic consistency as much as working in a group.

In conclusion, in light of these considerations – and especially in light of A.C.M.’s works, so broadly described in Guarrera’s monographic essay – it almost seems evident that they would approve this sentence by Spain's leading twentieth-century philosopher, José Ortega y Gasset – and indeed, he is cited by the author as one of the most influent on the Madrilenian trio’s design philosophy: «If an architect’s project shows admirable personal style, he is not, strictly speaking, a good architect».

Alessandro Mauro

Author: Fabio Guarrera
Title: Amann Cánovas Maruri
Subtitle: Architecture as eclectic pragmatism
Language: Italian and English
Publisher: Libria
Characteristics: 17 x 21 cm, 196 pages, paperback, color
ISBN: 9788867642830
Year: 2023