José Cruz Ovalle

Présentation de l'éditeur :

Rakennustieto publishes for the fifth time a book devoted to the work of the architect receiving the international Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award. The book, presenting the work of the 2008 winner, Chilean architect Jóse Cruz Ovalle, is published in both Finnish and English. The meditative texts and enchantingly beautiful images open a view into the unique buildings of a master of wooden architecture and through them into the rich architecture of Chile.

In his article "Wood and Space" José Cruz Ovalle tells about the starting points of his architecture, which can be traced to his studies in art, architecture and philosophy as well as his work as a sculptor: "Step by step I have come to conceive of all interiors from the point of view of their void and hollowness, understood as their centre, and not from their limiting surfaces. Light sculpture, comprised of several wooden pieces, allowed me to understand that beyond the block of unity, continuity must be built. This is also the case in architecture: to join together, to pass from the unity of each piece to the space..." Among the recurring themes in Cruz's architecture are continuity, spaces following in sequence and their relationship to the surrounding landscape, the distant and near horizons, the scale of man, and the importance of movement and touch. His way of describing the design process is simultaneously challenging and compelling: it is as if the reader, guided by Cruz, is walking into those unfolding continuous spaces. The reader feels the sensuousness of the wood, looks out to the horizon of the mountains or rests in the shade of the courtyard trees...

The architecture of José Cruz Ovalle is presented extensively in the book - 18 buildings completed between 1992 and 2007. In addition to his wood buildings, the book also contains significant concrete buildings in which wood has been used in the interior and for special details. Among the private houses included in the book are Cruz?s own home and studio as well as houses in Qinchamali and Valle Escondido. The public buildings include the Chilean Pavilion for the Seville Expo' 92, Adolfo Ibañez University buildings and the Explora hotels in Patagonia and on Easter Island. Among the industrial buildings presented are the Centromaderas factory and office buildings and the Pérez Cruz and Los Robles vineyard cellars. The projects are presented from different aspects, with texts and sketches by Pérez Cruz and magnificent photographs, taken mainly by architect Juan Purcell, as well as plans and sections.