IN MEMORIAN
Ricardo Porro, Architect –Artist (Cuba 1925 – France 2014)
This December 25, 2014, passed away, in a deep peace of mind and mental clarity, the prominent Cuban-French architect Ricardo Porro, following heart failure in the Montsouris Hospital in Paris, France.
Born in the city of Camagüey, Cuba, in 1925, he graduated in architecture from the School of Architecture of Havana in the 40's. He made his first trip to Europe in 1948, when he studied at the Sorbonne and at the Institute of Urbanism of Paris. In the following years, Porro traveled to Scandinavia and Italy, where he took part in different courses at the CIAM School with the most important architects and theorists of the modern movement such as Rogers, Gardella, Franco Albini and Bruno Zevi.
Back to Cuba, in 1950, he conceived and made in Havana his first works of architecture: the Villa Armenteros (1950), Villa Ennis (1953), Villa San Miguel (1953), Villa Villegas (1953), la casa Garcia (1954), the house Abbot-Villegas (1954) and Timothy Ennis (1957). These residences are part of the most important works of the modern architecture movement in Cuba, along with those of other young architects of his generation such as Frank Martinez, Nicolas Quintana, Manuel Gutierrez, Emilio del Junco, among others.
In the second half of the 50s, Ricardo Porro moved to Venezuela, where he was recruited as a professor of urban planning and architecture in the newly opened (1954) Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of Caracas. He taught there along with the important Venezuelan architect and theorist Carlos Raúl Villanueva, as well as Wifredo Lam, who made in 1957, one of the murals of the University campus.
Back to Cuba, in 1959, he was called upon by the architect Selma Diaz to act as general coordinator of the National Schools of Art project, planned to be built on a former golf club in the district of Cubanacán, in the outskirts of Havana. Porro seized this opportunity and invited the Italian architects Vittorio Garatti and Roberto Gottardi, whom he had known in Caracas, to help him conceive and build what would be his masterpiece.
From 1961 to 1965, Ricardo Porro, directed the project and works of the School of visual Arts and Modern Dance, helped by a group of young students of architecture of the time. Nowadays, the Art Schools represent one of the most important works of architecture carried out in Latin America and, without doubt, the most well-known and published work of Cuban architecture in the world.
The fierce ideological struggles and extremist policies carried out by the Cuban revolution and, specifically, among Cuban architects and builders, forced him to emigrate permanently to Europe, settling in 1966 in Paris.
From his arrival in France until 1992, Porro taught and gave lectures in various schools of Architecture in France, such as Strasbourg, La Villette, Lille and, in the recent years, as a visiting professor in Berlin, Rabat, Gratz, New York, Havana, and Tel Aviv.
Since 1966, Ricardo Porro participated in important architectural competitions such as the Paláis de l'air et de l'espace (Paris), and the urban planning of the University of Villetaneuse, in collaboration with the Polish architect André Mrowiec. His first work of architecture built in Europe was in 1969, when, at the request of Robert Altman, an important philanthropist and art collector, he conceived the L'Or du Rhin center in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.
Following this first work and in parallel to his work as a sculptor and painter, Porro began to work and achieve numerous projects of architecture and urbanism:
Born in the city of Camagüey, Cuba, in 1925, he graduated in architecture from the School of Architecture of Havana in the 40's. He made his first trip to Europe in 1948, when he studied at the Sorbonne and at the Institute of Urbanism of Paris. In the following years, Porro traveled to Scandinavia and Italy, where he took part in different courses at the CIAM School with the most important architects and theorists of the modern movement such as Rogers, Gardella, Franco Albini and Bruno Zevi.
Back to Cuba, in 1950, he conceived and made in Havana his first works of architecture: the Villa Armenteros (1950), Villa Ennis (1953), Villa San Miguel (1953), Villa Villegas (1953), la casa Garcia (1954), the house Abbot-Villegas (1954) and Timothy Ennis (1957). These residences are part of the most important works of the modern architecture movement in Cuba, along with those of other young architects of his generation such as Frank Martinez, Nicolas Quintana, Manuel Gutierrez, Emilio del Junco, among others.
In the second half of the 50s, Ricardo Porro moved to Venezuela, where he was recruited as a professor of urban planning and architecture in the newly opened (1954) Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of Caracas. He taught there along with the important Venezuelan architect and theorist Carlos Raúl Villanueva, as well as Wifredo Lam, who made in 1957, one of the murals of the University campus.
Back to Cuba, in 1959, he was called upon by the architect Selma Diaz to act as general coordinator of the National Schools of Art project, planned to be built on a former golf club in the district of Cubanacán, in the outskirts of Havana. Porro seized this opportunity and invited the Italian architects Vittorio Garatti and Roberto Gottardi, whom he had known in Caracas, to help him conceive and build what would be his masterpiece.
From 1961 to 1965, Ricardo Porro, directed the project and works of the School of visual Arts and Modern Dance, helped by a group of young students of architecture of the time. Nowadays, the Art Schools represent one of the most important works of architecture carried out in Latin America and, without doubt, the most well-known and published work of Cuban architecture in the world.
The fierce ideological struggles and extremist policies carried out by the Cuban revolution and, specifically, among Cuban architects and builders, forced him to emigrate permanently to Europe, settling in 1966 in Paris.
From his arrival in France until 1992, Porro taught and gave lectures in various schools of Architecture in France, such as Strasbourg, La Villette, Lille and, in the recent years, as a visiting professor in Berlin, Rabat, Gratz, New York, Havana, and Tel Aviv.
Since 1966, Ricardo Porro participated in important architectural competitions such as the Paláis de l'air et de l'espace (Paris), and the urban planning of the University of Villetaneuse, in collaboration with the Polish architect André Mrowiec. His first work of architecture built in Europe was in 1969, when, at the request of Robert Altman, an important philanthropist and art collector, he conceived the L'Or du Rhin center in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.
Following this first work and in parallel to his work as a sculptor and painter, Porro began to work and achieve numerous projects of architecture and urbanism:
The Youth House, in Vaduz, as well as a Holiday Village on the Island of Vela Luka, Yugoslavia, and the Esfahan villa, in Iran, 1975.
Between 1975 and 1985, Porro, in association with the architects Philippe Louguet, Jean Robien and Jean-François Dechoux, carried out several projects for architectural competitions, such as the School Gonzalo in Marne-la-Vallée, 1976; La Forêt residences, in Cergy-Pontoise, 1978; Library of The Source, in Villeneuve d'Ascq, 1979-1980; the Dance School of the Paris Opera, 1983; the extension of the town hall, Saint-Denis, 1985.
He re-validated his bachelor of architecture in France in the School of Architecture of Versailles and in 1986 he associated, with the young French Architect Renaud de La Noue, to establish his architecture firm in Paris. In the following years, his work as an architect and urban planner takes off and develops without never taking a break, building in France about 20 major projects including schools, hospitals, parks, office buildings, hotels and homes.
His architectural models, made between 1961 and 1980, can be visited at the Museum Les Turbulences FRAC Centre (Fonds Régionaux d'Art Contemporain) of the city of Orleans, France.
Ricardo Porro was a member of the French Order of Architects and the Republic of France awarded him, for all his work as an architect, artist and urban planner, the titles of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur and Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres.
In 1991, the French Institute of Architecture organized the important exhibition 'Gros Plan 1: Ricardo Porro. Focus on his works, and architecture projects'. In 2008, the Cintas Foundation, based in the city of Miami, awarded him the Cintas Architecture prize as a recognition of his long career as an intellectual and architect.
In 2009, the American director Robert Wilson made an opera based on the life of Ricardo Porro during the construction of the Schools of Art in Havana. In the year 2012, the president of the Italian Republic awarded him the Vittorio De Sica prize for Architecture, for the project of the School of Art, Havana, along with Vittorio Garatti and Roberto Gottardi.
Between 1975 and 1985, Porro, in association with the architects Philippe Louguet, Jean Robien and Jean-François Dechoux, carried out several projects for architectural competitions, such as the School Gonzalo in Marne-la-Vallée, 1976; La Forêt residences, in Cergy-Pontoise, 1978; Library of The Source, in Villeneuve d'Ascq, 1979-1980; the Dance School of the Paris Opera, 1983; the extension of the town hall, Saint-Denis, 1985.
He re-validated his bachelor of architecture in France in the School of Architecture of Versailles and in 1986 he associated, with the young French Architect Renaud de La Noue, to establish his architecture firm in Paris. In the following years, his work as an architect and urban planner takes off and develops without never taking a break, building in France about 20 major projects including schools, hospitals, parks, office buildings, hotels and homes.
His architectural models, made between 1961 and 1980, can be visited at the Museum Les Turbulences FRAC Centre (Fonds Régionaux d'Art Contemporain) of the city of Orleans, France.
Ricardo Porro was a member of the French Order of Architects and the Republic of France awarded him, for all his work as an architect, artist and urban planner, the titles of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur and Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres.
In 1991, the French Institute of Architecture organized the important exhibition 'Gros Plan 1: Ricardo Porro. Focus on his works, and architecture projects'. In 2008, the Cintas Foundation, based in the city of Miami, awarded him the Cintas Architecture prize as a recognition of his long career as an intellectual and architect.
In 2009, the American director Robert Wilson made an opera based on the life of Ricardo Porro during the construction of the Schools of Art in Havana. In the year 2012, the president of the Italian Republic awarded him the Vittorio De Sica prize for Architecture, for the project of the School of Art, Havana, along with Vittorio Garatti and Roberto Gottardi.
Currently had finished painting a new series of paintings in large format, on a proposal for presentation by Michael Connors to exhibit at the MOLAA (Museum of Latin American Art) in Los Angeles USA, whose working title of the exhibition I proposed "Myths, Symbols and Visions."
The MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York will include original drawings of their projects The Schools of Art and Dance in Havana in his upcoming exhibition "Latin America in Construction: architecture 1955-1980" from March 29 to July 19 2015 among other important Latin American architects.
In Cuba, Ricardo was already part of the pantheon of the great Cuban intellectuals. His work and thought, extremely prolific as well as controversial, represent, beyond dispute, an important part of the universal contemporary architectural heritage.
Without a doubt, Ricardo Porro will remain in our memories as the great teacher, professor and inspirer of numerous generations of architecture and art students in the entire world, as well as one of the greatest intellectuals and architects who lived in Europe and Latin America between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
All my condolences to Elena Freyre de Andrade, his beloved wife, dearest companion and friend throughout his life, as well as the rest of their family and friends.
Without a doubt, Ricardo Porro will remain in our memories as the great teacher, professor and inspirer of numerous generations of architecture and art students in the entire world, as well as one of the greatest intellectuals and architects who lived in Europe and Latin America between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
All my condolences to Elena Freyre de Andrade, his beloved wife, dearest companion and friend throughout his life, as well as the rest of their family and friends.
Juan Luis Morales Menocal
Architect, Artist. Atelier Morales
Paris, December 26th, 2014
Translated by Fernan Morales
