The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) named Ensamble Studio, led by architects Débora Mesa and Antón García-Abril, as the recipient of the 2019 RIBA Charles Jencks Award, which is presented to an individual or practice for their recent, major contribution internationally to architectural theory and practice.
“Débora Mesa and Antón Garcia-Abril are bold in their work, which explores the powerful combination of placemaking, functionality, refinement and beauty, in both urban and rural areas. Ensamble Studio is a highly collaborative practice built on the personal, professional and academic strengths of its staff”
David Gloster, Chair of the RIBA Charles Jencks Award judging panel and RIBA Director of Education, in a statement.


Founded in 2000 and with offices in Madrid and Boston, Ensamble Studio describes themselves as a cross-functional practice that “balances education, research, and practice” and continuously “explore[s] innovative approaches to architectural and urban spaces, and the technologies that build them”.

Some of their notable projects include the Hemeroscopium House and Reader’s House in Madrid; The Truffle in Costa da Morte, Telcel Theater in Mexico City; Structures of Landscape in Montana, and the more recent Ca’n Terra in Menorca and Ensamble Fabrica in Madrid.
 

“We have found an ever-expanding field for exploration and invention in architecture — one where every built work is just the beginning of the next project to come, in constant evolution and full of creative uncertainties. One that has the enormous potential to transcend our own actions and become part of bigger ideas, bigger endeavours and greater communities. The RIBA Charles Jencks Award has a challenging mission and a humbling list of recipients, so winning it is as surprising as encouraging. We receive it with great happiness and gratitude, eager to do much more and much better.”

Mesa and García-Abril said in a statement, on receiving the 2019 Charles Jencks Award.


Mesa and García-Abril will receive the award, and also present a lecture, during a special event chaired by Charles Jencks himself at the RIBA in London on November 4.

More information

Ensamble Studio is a cross-functional team founded in 2000 and led by architects Antón García-Abril and Débora Mesa.

Balancing education, research and practice, the office explores innovative approaches to architectural and urban spaces, and the technologies that build them.

Among the studio’s most relevant completed works are Hemeroscopium House and Reader’s House in Madrid (Spain), Music Studies Center and SGAE Central Office in Santiago de Compostela (Spain), The Truffle in Costa da Morte (Spain), Cervantes Theater in Mexico City and, more recently, Cyclopean House in Brookline (USA) and Structures of Landscape for Tippet Rise Art Center in Montana (USA). Currently, bigger scale projects are being developed like Zip Tower, Plot Tower and Big Bang Tower, high-rise systems for residential and mix-use programs.

Their work has been extensively published in both printed and digital media, exhibited world-wide -MOMA NY 2015, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2015, Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/ Architecture 2013 in Shenzhen, GA International Exhibitions 2014-2010 in Tokyo, Venice Architecture Biennale 2010, etc.-  and awarded with international prizes -Austrian State Award for Architecture 2014, Iakov Chernikhov Prize 2012, Rice Design Alliance Prize 2009 to emerging architects, Architectural Record Design Vanguard Prize 2005, among others.

Beside their professional career, both principals keep a very active research and academic agenda, have been invited professors and lecturers at numerous universities and architecture forums, were curators of Spainlab -Spanish Pavilion at the 13th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia- in 2012 and founded that same year the POPlab (Prototypes of Prefabrication Research Laboratory) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), that they continue to direct.
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Published on: September 19, 2019
Cite: "Ensamble Studio winners of 2019 RIBA Charles Jencks Award" METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/ensamble-studio-winners-2019-riba-charles-jencks-award> ISSN 1139-6415
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