en.Wedoany.com Reported - Renowned Spanish architect Oscar Tusquets recently gave an exclusive interview at his villa in Barcelona, reflecting on his career spanning over half a century and bluntly stating that the contemporary architecture industry is undergoing a "disheartening" transformation. He pointed out that the leadership of large-scale engineering projects has shifted from architectural studios to engineering firms, with bureaucracy and legal risks gradually eroding the creative core of design.

Using his collaboration experience with two American companies as an example, Tusquets revealed typical dilemmas in transnational projects. During the collaboration with an American insurance company on the Miramar Hotel project in Montjuïc, the project manager confused inches with square meters and attempted to eliminate the restaurant to increase the number of guest rooms. Ultimately, restoring the restaurant and installing the sprinkler system requested by the American client cost a total of one million euros. Such experiences led him to feel that project managers generally despise architects, turning the project execution process into a "free-for-all."

Discussing the structural changes in the architecture industry, Tusquets believes that since the 2008 crisis, project resources have sharply dwindled, while the complexity of regulations and insurance clauses has further squeezed design space. He observed that today, any project exceeding three million euros is typically backed by engineering firms with lawyers, auditors, and project managers, rather than traditional studios. Citing the Barcelona stadium project as an example, he noted that no one knows the identity of the architect for its largest engineering component, with the original design being progressively downgraded and dominated by the engineering firm.

As a representative figure of postmodern architecture, Tusquets admitted that he still yearns to create, especially to design a school and a skyscraper in Benidorm. He outlined his vision for future projects: a school should feature differentiated spaces like a residence, rather than modular, repetitive designs; a skyscraper in Benidorm, under its relaxed regulatory constraints, could achieve creativity through combinations of spacing and orientation. However, he regretfully stated that he has not yet received any related commissions.

In response to the shifting status of architects versus engineering firms, Tusquets noted that during the rise of the star architect system in the late 20th century, decision-makers believed architects could attract votes, and project leadership was once in the hands of architects. But now, the obligation to place a Calatrava work in every province is outdated, and international trends have shifted toward entrusting major projects to world-renowned architects from other countries, while the dreams of local architectural design studios—meticulous design, environmental sensitivity, and full participation—are at risk of disappearing.

Regarding the future of the construction industry, Tusquets borrowed a quote from Ettore Sottsass to respond to questions about predictions and stated that the outlook from an execution perspective is poor. He criticized current European regulations and competition systems that require resumes to include experience with similar projects, making it difficult for older architects and emerging firms to secure opportunities. He admitted that he is not good at competitions, and his long-time collaborator Luis Clot has also repeatedly lost in competitions.

Tusquets finally emphasized that despite the deteriorating industry ecosystem, architecture as a blend of science, art, and culture remains worth recommending. He suggested that the younger generation could expand their horizons into graphic design, interior design, and furniture, while construction itself is undergoing fundamental changes. Facing environmental challenges, he agreed with Souto de Moura's view: all good architecture has always been ecological, with the key lying in traditional methods such as correct orientation, cross-ventilation, reasonable window-to-wall ratios, and exterior wall insulation.

In this interview, Tusquets also mentioned his last major project—the Toledo Metro Station in Naples. The project required the architectural creativity he excels at, as tunnel excavation created a massive pit measuring 20x20x40 meters, allowing for innovative integration of architecture and engineering. He described the overall collaboration process as "a pleasure."

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