Radical Logic
Ensamble Studio is a cross-functional team founded in 2000 and led by architects Antón García-Abril and Débora Mesa. Balancing imagination and reality, art and science, their work innovates typologies, technologies, and methodologies to address issues as diverse as the construction of the landscape or the prefabrication of the house.
During the talk, Antón and Debóra shared an overview of the the work of Ensamble Studio, from their early works such as the SGAE Headquarters in Santiago de Compostela, Hemeroscopium House in Madrid, and The Truffle in Galicia, to their most recent ones, Ensamble Fabrica in Madrid and Ca’n Terra in Menorca, Spain.
The lecture coincided with the launch of the book Radical Logic: On the Work of Ensamble Studio published by MAS Context. Edited by Iker Gil, the book documents the first twenty years of the Boston- and Madrid-based office at a key moment in their career. Through specially commissioned interviews with the architects, essays, and photography by James Florio, the book provides a unique insight into the ideas that drive the studio, the ambitions behind their key projects, and their ongoing explorations.
Suggested readings
Ensamble Studio, “Ca’n Terra: Architecture of the Earth – Virtual Exhibition,” ‘T’ Space, 2020.
“Ensamble present Ca’n Terra” The World Around Summit 2021, January 30, 2021.
Antón García-Abril, “The Truffle,” MAS Context, Speed, September 5, 2011.
Débora Mesa, “Stunning buildings made from raw, imperfect materials,” TED, November, 2018.
Structures of Landscape, Tippet Rise Art Center, Montana. © James Florio.
Ca’n Terra, Menorca, Spain. © James Florio.
Hemeroscopium House, Madrid, Spain. © James Florio.
SGAE Central Headquarters, Santiago de Compostela, Spain. © James Florio.
The Truffle, Northern Spain. © James Florio.
Ensamble Fábrica, Madrid, Spain. © James Florio.