The Madrid Institute of Architects has provided a space for El Equipo Mazzanti + horizontal for a dynamic exhibition of their career, showcasing their pedagogical design process through play—a methodology characteristic of the firm led by Colombian architect Giancarlo Mazzanti. The exhibition is on view at COAM until January 24.
Official description: The exhibition Jugando con Pedagogías (Playing with Pedagogies), featuring a selection of projects—both built works and proposed design concepts developed over the last 13 years—showcases the vision and design process of El Equipo Mazzanti. To highlight the intention to produce architecture that transcends the classic concept of architectural function and seeks to generate new forms of social relationships, they designed a dynamic exhibition space that, from December 17 to January 31, will continuously evolve, guiding visitors to experience key concepts of our work which, though different, are complementary.
Each day, the exhibition will alternate between two configurations:
The first, Beyond the Function of the Architectural Program, questions the notion of "architectural function" as a manifestation of a static meaning of utility and efficiency derived from modernism, reevaluating it through the experimentation of alternative uses for conventional architectural programs such as institutional, cultural, educational, and sports spaces, which redefine how such architecture can foster user appropriation.
The second configuration, Project Strategy as an Architectural Activator, reflects on the conceptual intentions that shape the selected projects through a strategic approach to their physical and social impact. This concept encourages our designs to be conceived as space-activating structures that respond to socio-environmental dynamics and needs through flexibility, adaptability, and change, manifesting in designs focused on exploring concepts such as Changing Atmospheres, Anomalous Elements, or Unfinished Systems.
Ultimately, while we recognize that disciplinary debate and practice-based research form the foundation of the profession, the goal of Mazzanti & Arquitectos, horizontal, and El Jardín Parlante is also to challenge the status quo of the discipline, opening up the field to bolder design processes in constant search of new horizons. We conceive space beyond its abstract condition, viewing it instead as a place for interaction between diverse human and non-human agents. For this reason, the projects in this exhibition are represented not only through drawings and photographs, but also through mediums such as video and toys, capturing the space and user interaction with architecture in a dynamic way.
Our unique understanding of the two concepts shaping this exhibition, along with the mediums used to present them, reflects our way of working and has shaped our architectural output. Consequently, this influences the real-world impact these elements have on their respective contexts. What these 18 projects share is that their value lies not just in their design, but in what they generate.
In other words, this exhibition demonstrates how architecture functions as a performative space.
Below are some of the built and unbuilt works on display:
Bosques de La Esperanza
Rome Biomedical Campus
Fundo Moray Center
La Enseñanza School
South American Games Coliseum
Barranca Prototype Roof
Santa Fe Foundation
Malaguzzi Kindergarten
Timayui and La Paz Kindergarten
El Porvenir Social Kindergarten
La Casita
Barranquilla Modern Art Museum
Montes de María
España Library Park
Marinilla Educational Park
La Ilusión Preschool
21 Preschools in Atlántico
This article was written by Santiago Baraya. The translation is powered by AI.
