Flores & Prats – inaugural ‘Margarita Brender’ lecture @ COAC
15th April 2024
Eva Prats and Ricardo Flores were invited to open, with an inaugural presentation, the new cycle of lectures dedicated to Margarita Brender at the COAC, highlighting their trajectory and some of their recent works. They focused on their participation in the 2023 Venice Biennale, curated by architect Lesley Lokko under the theme “Laboratory of the Future”, where they exhibited all their working material, responding to the challenge of decarbonizing the planet.
Instead of constructing new buildings, they potentiate the reuse of existing structures and the embedded energy within them. Their installation at the Biennale showcased this approach, tracing back to the beginnings of their office and establishing five themes to discuss: Drawing with Time, the Value of Use, the Open Condition of the Ruin, the Right to Inherit and Emotional Heritage.
Rather than merely showcasing finished buildings, they aimed to create an immersive experience akin to a working studio, where visitors could engage with the process, doubts, and problems inherent in rehabilitation projects. They presented models, drawings, and animations to illustrate their ideas, including stop-motion films that brought their projects to life.
Eva and Ricardo experimented with layouts, materials, and even tested a mock-up of the exhibition in La Favorita warehouse to polish some details. Through the presentation, the audience could get a first impression on the creative process that Flores & Prats carry out in every project and their commitment to sustainable and meaningful design practices, that foment the dialogue about the challenges and opportunities in preserving our architectural heritage.
> See video of lecture (CATALÀ)