Architect Ricard Bofill died this Friday at the age of 82, according to family sources. Born in Barcelona in 1939, he was known, among other works, for being the author of such well-known buildings such as the W Hotel, in Barceloneta (commonly known as Vela Hotel due to its sail-like structure), and the National Catalonia Theatre (TNC). He was also the author of Walden 7, an apartment building in Sant Just Desvern.
Other renowned works by Bofill in Catalonia include the expansion of the El Prat airport, the Kafka Castle in Sant Pere de Ribes and the residential buildings on Nicaragua Street, 97-99; and Johann Sebastian Bach Street, 28; in Barcelona. He was also the author of the Meritxell Sanctuary in Andorra. Throughout the world, Bofill has built well-known works such as the Manzanares Park in Madrid, the Exhibition and Conference Center in A Coruña and the Shiseido Building in Tokyo. He also has works in Prague, Luxembourg, Casablanca, Houston, Bordeaux, Paris and Montpellier.
Ricard Bofill i Leví was, for all these reasons, an architect and urban planner of worldwide renown, with works in several countries, and one of the main promoters of Catalan architecture in the second half of the 20th century. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the postmodern style of contemporary architecture.
Hotel Vela ACNHotel Vela, Ricard Bofill's building / ACN
Trained in his youth at the Virtèlia School and the Barcelona School of Architecture —from where he was expelled in 1957 due to his militancy in the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC)—, he continued his studies at the University of Geneva. In 1963, he created Taller de Arquitectura, a studio that, in addition to architects and engineers, included sociologists.
Throughout his career, Bofill received numerous awards and recognitions, among them the Sant Jordi Cross (1993), granted by the Catalan government. In 1985, he was elected an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects. In addition, Bofill was Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Metz, France (1995); honorary member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) (1985); Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, of the French Ministry of Culture (1988), and Doctor Honoris Causa by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (2021).
Bofill's death comes just a month and a half after the passing of another of Barcelona's architectural greats, Oriol Bohigas, who died at the age of 95 on December 1st.
Main facade of the TNC / Don Vip
Among the first reactions to Bofill's death was that of Spanish minister of Culture, Miquel Iceta, who stressed that Bofill "will never be forgotten" thanks to the "jewels" he left behind. In statements to Efe, the socialist minister expressed his condolences to the architect's family and said that "it is time to remember what he has done for architecture", as well as for the international projection of Catalonia and Spain. "He will never be forgotten because he has left us jewels we will enjoy for a long time," said Iceta.
Catalan president Pere Aragonès conveyed his condolences to the family and friends, and said that "his cosmopolitan look and architectural legacy will always be remembered inside and outside the country". For her part, Catalan minister of Culture, Natàlia Garriga, remembered the architect as "one of the great exponents of Catalan postmodern architecture and the 1993 Sant Jordi Cross winner".
The president in exile, Carles Puigdemont referred to Bofill as "an incorruptible, brilliant and universal architect". "He leaves behind a work and a cultural discourse of the highest quality, recognized and admired all over the world," added Puigdemont.