El módulo hele de Rafael Leoz. Una historia de contradicciones: del éxito internacional a la difícil relación con la arquitectura española

Abstract

1821

The Spanish architect Rafael Leoz de la Fuente (1921-1976; graduated, 1955) participated in the construction of Poblado Dirigido de Orcasitas (along with Joaquín Ruiz Hervás), one of the earliest examples of Spanish rationalism applied to social housing, gateway of modernity in Spanish architecture led by names like Oiza or Fisac. However, the experience of Orcasitas (3,000 homes) motivated Leoz to leave the practice for the research in social architecture through theories and laws based on geometric modulation towards prefabrication and industrialization, not only in the field of housing, but in architecture in general. His theories were internationally recognized, first in the Sao Paulo Biennial in 1961, and later through countless lectures in different countries and awards. His thoughts were highly regarded by architects such as Le Corbusier and Jean Prouve among others, who expressly supported his work. But Leoz failed in Spain the same prestige and understanding of its work among the Spanish architects for various reasons, although his international reputation earned him to obtain the support of the Franco regime to create the Rafael Leoz Foundation for Research in Social Architecture (1969) from which emerged the two unique works based on their theoretical principles: the experimental housing in Las Fronteras (Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid) and the Spanish Embassy in Brasilia.

Keywords

Rafael Leoz de la Fuente (Spanish architect, 1921-1976), social housing, prefabrication and standardisation, geometric modulation