GUILLERMO ARANDA-MENA

“If buildings could talk, what would they say about us?” In 1973 the 'Sydney Opera House' (SOH) opened its doors to the public. This lecture revisits a landmark that in 2007 earned its addition to the UNESCO World Heritage list. A decade on the making and over 40 years of operations is the backdrop to discuss social and technological transformations. This lecture is inspired by ‘Cathedrals of Culture’, a six part collection of films premiered at the 2014 International Berlin Film Festival. The SOH will be the catalyst to firstly reflect on the building’s life-cycle and to then provide an outlook of our changing world and implications to the architecture profession. Do join my open lecture at Politecnico di   M I L A N O When: Monday, December the 5th at 2:30. Venue: Rogers Room (after Ernesto Rogers, who was a prominent Milanese architect, cousin of Richard Rogers' father, William Nino Rogers). Leonardo Campus, PoliMI,  I T A L I A ...

The architecture, travels and life of Mexican architect Luis Barragán by Guillermo Aranda-Mena This month I am working on an exhibition in tribute to the Mexican architect Luis Barragán. Perhaps the first exhibition of Barragán in Australia. To be held at Melbourne Federation Square (The Atrium Building) during September in commemoration of the anniversary of Mexican independence which took place on the 16th of September, 1810. I was introduced to the work of Luis Barragán while doing my architecture studies in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was then when things start falling into place, especially a world-view,  love for travel, appreciation for regional culture, buildings and overall,  atmospheres. Before I knew who is "Luis Barragán", I certainly knew very well his birth town, "Mazamitla" which is a couple of hundred kilometers south of Guadalajara, Mexico. It was a usual destination for my parents to do day trips over weekends both, driving with both pa...