RCR Arquitectes, honorary doctorate from the University of Córdoba

Rafael Aranda , Carme Pigem and Ramon Vilalta are the creative minds behind RCR Arquitectes and, now, their career has received new recognition from the National University of Córdoba (UNC) , which has awarded them the title of doctor honoris causa, highlighting their innovative contribution to architecture and their connection with landscape, design and art.

The ceremony was held last week in the Sala de Graus of the Old Rectorate of the UNC and was attended by several personalities from the academic and institutional world. Among them, the vice-rector of the university, Mariela Marchisio ; the architect and teacher Ana Etkin ; the vice-dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Urbanism and Design, Guillermo Olguín ; as well as representatives of the educational community and city authorities. Architect Ana Etkin was in charge of presenting the awardees, highlighting her way of understanding architecture as a discipline that dialogues with time and space: “They do not fight against time, they integrate it and project it. Their materiality is not arbitrary, but a dialogue with the environment”. Vice-rector Marchisio, for her part, was in charge of presenting the title to the architects and wanted to highlight the mark they have left on the discipline. “It is not about celebrating a career marked by prestige, but rather about paying tribute to a way of conceiving architecture, which with a silent depth has left an indelible mark on architectural thought and practice,” he expressed during his speech.

Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem i Ramon Vilalta reben el títol de doctors honoris causa de les mans d'Ana Etkin i Mariela Marchisio.

With a consolidated and internationally recognized career —including the Pritzker Prize in 2017— , Aranda, Pigem and Vilalta have developed emblematic projects such as the Tossols Basil athletics stadium , the Les Cols restaurant in Olot and the Soulages Museum in France . Upon receiving the award, they emphasized the influence of architecture on everyday life: “The quality of our life depends on the quality of the spaces where it takes place.” They also interpreted this recognition as a stimulus to continue exploring new ways of relating to the landscape and society.

The National University of Córdoba, founded in 1613 and known as "la Docta", is the oldest in Argentina and one of the first in America. The title of doctor honoris causa is its highest distinction and is granted to outstanding figures both in the country and internationally. This award, therefore, reaffirms RCR's commitment to a way of understanding the built space that invites us to think, feel and experience architecture with an open mind and in harmony with nature.

Les Cols Pavellons, Olot. © ERIETA ATTALI PHOTOGRAPHIC ARCHIVE