Spanish architect Juan de Dios de la Hoz and his work reconstructing the historical heritage of Lorca (Murcia, Spain) following the May 2011 earthquake have been awarded the Rafael Manzano International Prize for New Traditional Architecture, endowed with €50,000.
The jury, comprising prestigious national and international architects, praised his mastery of traditional and historical techniques shown in many of his historic heritage interventions, particularly on those monuments requiring extensive reconstruction work.
One of the most challenging tasks for Juan de Dios has been reconstructing Lorca's architectural landmarks after the devastating May 2011 earthquake, which reduced some of the city's most iconic historic buildings to rubble. The architect's intervention focused on restoring compatibility between historic and contemporary elements, as previous work using reinforced concrete in these buildings was responsible for much of the damage.
Among his most notable works are the restorations of six of Lorca's main churches: San Patricio, San José, San Mateo, Santiago, Nuestra Señora del Carmen, and the San Francisco Convent, an effort for which he received the 2016 Europa Nostra Award.
Commenting on the city's rehabilitation, the architect noted:
In addition, Juan de Dios and the architecture firm he founded have also worked on the restoration of prominent historical complexes, including the Cathedral and the Episcopal Palace of Alcalá de Henares, Belmonte Castle, Brihuega Castle, the Cathedral of Cartagena, the Episcopal Palace of Murcia, the church and crypt of the Ducal Pantheon at the San Francisco Monastery in Guadalajara, the Yuste Monastery, and the historic complex of the former Convent of La Coria in Trujillo.
The award ceremony for this prestigious prize, organized by the Richard H. Driehaus Charitable Lead Trust and INTBAU (International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture and Urbanism), will take place on Wednesday, November 7, at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid.
Via Driehaus Foundation.
This article was written by Javier García Librero. The translation is powered by AI.
