Ignasi de Solà-Morales Rubió (Barcelona, August 24, 1942 – Amsterdam, March 12, 2001) was a Spanish architect, historian, and philosopher recognized for his significant contributions to the theory and practice of contemporary architecture.
Born into a family of architects, his father, Manuel de Solà-Morales i de Rosselló, served as dean of the College of Architects of Catalonia between 1954 and 1964. His grandfather, Joan Rubió i Bellver, and his brother, Manuel de Solà-Morales i Rubió, were also prominent figures in the architecture field.
Ignasi earned degrees in Philosophy and Architecture from the University of Barcelona and obtained his doctorate in Architecture in 1977. That same year, he became a Theory and History of Architecture professor at the Higher Technical School of Architecture of Barcelona (ETSAB) at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. He also taught at Columbia University in New York and was a member of the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in the same city. Additionally, he directed the Historical Archive of Architecture, Design, and Urbanism at the Official College of Architects of Catalonia (COAC).
In 1971, he established his professional studio, where he developed various municipal projects that gained him international recognition. In 1984, he led the reconstruction of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's German Pavilion in Barcelona, originally dismantled after the 1929 International Exposition. Later, he gained expertise in theater restoration, such as those in Valls and Torelló between 1985 and 1988, and conducted specialized courses in scenic architecture. These credentials led him to direct the Gran Teatre del Liceu expansion in Barcelona and, following its 1994 fire, its reconstruction, completed in 1999. This project, a collaboration with Xavier Fabré, Lluís Dilmé, and Eulàlia Serra, was awarded the National Prize for Cultural Heritage by the Government of Catalonia.
The reconstruction of the Liceu not only restored the city’s emblematic opera house but also transformed it into a more complex, better-equipped, and safer space capable of meeting the demands of contemporary cultural venues. The project included designing furniture and finishes using a contemporary language that respected the historical context. Among these designs is the Liceo suspension lamp, created in collaboration with Santa & Cole, which is featured in various spaces of the theater.
In addition to his work on the Liceu, Ignasi de Solà-Morales was responsible for the Pati Llimona remodelling in Barcelona (1983–1991) and the renovation of several historic buildings. He designed homes, schools, and sports facilities and participated in the reorganization of the historic centers of Marseille, Tarragona, and parts of Barcelona.
In the theoretical field, he coined the term "terrain vague" to describe urban areas that are "free, available, and uncommitted," remnants left underutilized by capitalist development.
He passed away on March 12, 2001, in Amsterdam, from a heart attack while serving as a jury member for the Mies van der Rohe Architecture Award. His remains were interred in the cemetery of Port de la Selva.
