The archive of Spanish architect Julio Lafuente

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Pastor, M. ORCID: 0000-0002-9758-369X, 2016. The archive of Spanish architect Julio Lafuente. In: B. Ercan, ed., History'16 / III. International History Conference proceedings, Istanbul, Turkey, May 2016. Istanbul: Dakam Publishing, pp. 64-74. ISBN 9786059207232

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Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to share the research results obtained through the compilation process of the Archive
of Julio Lafuente and the unpublished Catalogue of his work, non-existent to date, undertaken by the author of this
paper. Julio Lafuente was born in Madrid in 1921. Soon after, his family moved to Paris, where he studied Architecture at the École Nationale de Beaux Arts. Once graduated, he established his residence in Rome, where he developed most of his broad and valuable architecture, widely recognised and published at the time. The Archive reveals Lafuente's wide-ranging approach to contemporary architectural semiotics and techniques. As he is recently deceased, there have been several tributes in the Royal Academy of Spain in Rome, the Cervantes Institute in Rome and the Biennale di Venezia'14, among others. How should the undertaking of both the archive and catalogue of the work of an architect be faced? What methodology should be followed to feature our findings and contextualize his works, publications and projects from different perspectives: context, critical thinking, practice, role, technique? How to interpret the significance of existing documents, such as drawings, models, plans or photographs, not from a documentary point of view but through the eyes of the architect? This paper will address these and other questions, not without acknowledging that we are facing a research senza fine. Jaques Derridà said in his doctoral dissertation: "If I clearly saw ahead of time where I was going, I really do not believe that I would take another step to get there" (Trifonas, 2005, pp. 6). I can't avoid remembering his words upon checking —not without bewilderment— that the first impression I had of Lafuente's work is as similar as the impression I have now after years of research. Years in which, as new discoveries arose, I could see how the conclusions pushed me —even on occasions facing resistance— back to the starting point.

Item Type:	Chapter in book
Creators:	Pastor, M.
Publisher:	Dakam Publishing
Place of Publication:	Istanbul
Date:	May 2016
ISBN:	9786059207232
Divisions:	Schools > School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	19 Jun 2017 11:27
Last Modified:	19 Jun 2017 11:27
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/30993