MX_SI and SPRB win the competition for Papalote Museo del Niño in Mexico

MX_SI is a creative studio of architecture, a team of international experienced architects based in Barcelona. The studio was founded in 2005, by Boris Bezan, Héctor Mendoza, Mara Partida and Mónica Juvera, upon receiving the first prize for the construction of 'The Centre Federico García Lorca' in Granada - their first work together. Since then, work has been focused primarily on developing public competitions either cultural or historic city centers. Gradually, its creative activity has been consolidated by winning numerous prizes in national and international competitions.

Boris Bezan was born in Slovenia in 1972. He graduated in Architecture at Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za Arhitekturo, in1999. In the year 2000 he obtained a Master degree in Architecture and Urban Culture at the UPC in Barcelona. Before co-founding MXSI he had received prizes on several international architectural competitions like Europan 5 in Croatia in 1999, the Large Sports Center in Maribor, Slovenia in 1997, the Ljubljana Master Plan in 2001, or the landscape proposal for the Guadiana river front in Ayamonte, Spain. He worked as collaborator at the practice of Jose Luis Mateo, where he was involved in a significant number of awarded projects. His professional work has been internationally published and exhibited, and he has been invited to give lectures and conferences at several architecture schools, public and private institutions. In 2005 he established the MXSI architectural studio in Barcelona after winning several international competitions such as the competition for the design of the “Federico García Lorca Center” in Granada, Spain.

Mara Partida was born in Mexico City in 1974. She graduated as an architect in 1997 at ITESO University in Guadalajara Mexico. Already as student she won several professional competitions and obtained important awards like the most valuable student of her generation. Between 1997 and 1999 she worked with Legorreta Architects on different projects in Mexico, U.S.A and Europe. In 1999 she obtained the CONACYT scholarship for studying the M. Arch. Master in Architecture and Urbanism at the Design Research Laboratory (AA-DRL) at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, where she graduated in 2001. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Architectural Design at the UPC in Barcelona, where she obtained her doctor degree with Honours “Cum Laude”. Her research work has been the subject of several international publications and exhibitions. In 2005 she began her professional career in Spain. She co-founded MX_SI Architectural Studio after winning several international competitions. She combines her professional career with academic work. She is a professor at the Architectural Design Department at the ETSAB UPC in Barcelona.

Héctor Mendoza was born in Mexico in 1974. He graduated as an architect at ITESO University in Guadalajara Mexico in 1997.  In 1998 he won the CONACYT scholarship for doing post-graduate studies at the Architectural Association, where he obtained the M.Arch. Master in Architecture and Urbanism at the Design Research Laboratory (AA-DRL) in 2000. In that same year he extended his scholarship in order to continue with Doctoral studies. He did his Ph.D. at the Architectural Design Department at the ETSAB UPC in Barcelona and in January 2005 he received his Doctor degree with Honours “Cum Laude”. Before co-founding MX-SI, he worked as design architect at several international offices such as Brissac-Gonzalez Architecture in London, Massimiliano Fuksas in Rome, Jose Luis Mateo, or RQP in Barcelona. He is a professor at the Department of Architectural Representation and Visual Analysis I at the ETSA UPC Barcelona.

Mónica Juvera was born in México in 1974. She graduated at the ITESM CQ México in 1997.  In 2002 she did her Master in Landscape Architecture at the UPC in Barcelona with a Thesis proposal that analysed aerial landscape views by Paul Klee. Before establishing MX_SI, she worked with Itamar Batista in Salvador de Bahía, Brasil in 1996.  In 1997 her work was recognized at the 1st prize for Bahía’s Furniture Design, and prize winner for the landscape proposal for the Guadiana river front in Ayamonte, Spain. In 2005 she established the MXSI architectural studio in Barcelona after winning several international competitions such as the competition for the design of the “Federico García Lorca Center” in Granada, Spain. In 2007 she obtained the “Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes” (FONCA) scholarship for young creators. She proposed the idea of generation of a new urban structure from city’s natural reservoir. Her professional and research work has been internationally published and exhibited, and she has been invited as critic and lecturer at several architecture schools.