Concerning distracted gazes in Enric Miralles

Abstract

In a geography that is so culturally distant as Japan, Miralles uses the “sign” as a fundamental language in his creative process to think, experiment and model metaphorical architectural forms. Another concept used by Miralles is that one of “allegory”, in which physical figures supplant ideas. In this article we will see how the drawings of the documents of Unazuki Pavilion project could evoke the human figure, the old bridge structure, the geometry of the City or the geometry of the Nature. He also uses the carp banks of the place as a symbol of his project, a symbol that he would have already apprehended of García Lorca’s fish drawings. In this sense, the Pavilion project becomes an essential reference of Miralles’ way of doing and concern, not only for the physical environment, but also for the social, historical and cultural context. When it comes to the representation, in this project in Japan, he uses the threads of metal to elaborate the three-dimensional models for the first time. This latest material and his innovative way of working would allow him to create “drawings in space”.

Keywords: iconography, allegory, creative process, Miralles.