The architectural contests in Spain, 1979-83: a comparative analysis from a gender perspective

Abstract

The following presentation is part of the PHD thesis by the author, stemmed from the investigation results by the project 'MuWo-Mujeres y Arquitecturas en España, 1965-1992. Proyectos para ampliar las historias' (see Supporting Agencies), and currently under development at the University of Zaragoza (Spain).The demise of Francoist authoritarian regime in 1975 brought social advances which began to flourish in the so-called transition years towards a democratic Government (1975-1982). In the architectural context, the blossoming of architecture contests, specialized periodicals and prizes brought new opportunities and offered the possibility of specifically highlighting the professional work of a new generation of recently egressed women architects who were beginning to join technical professions. This paper will apply a gender perspective on the analysis of two especially well-attended, open and anonymous architectural contests from these years: the ‘Madrid Islamic Cultural Center Contest’ (1979-80) and the ‘Contest for Architectural Solutions for Officially Subsidised Single-Family Housing in Rural Areas’ (1981-83). With their diverse scales, building types, symbolic values, locations and possibilities of materialization, both contests represent two different, if not opposed, approaches that ultimately affect the presence and working mode of women architects in them.