In recognition of his outstanding career and exceptional contribution to the field of architecture, Josep Llinàs (born in Castellón, 1945) has been honoured with the 2024 Gold Medal in Architecture. This award, the most prestigious in the Spanish architectural field, was granted by the Higher Council of Architects’ Associations of Spain (CSCAE).
Josep Llinàs, whose career has been marked by a deep reflection on space and its cultural and social uses, has contributed numerous works that have set the standard in contemporary Spanish architecture. Among his most significant projects are the Jaume Fuster Library in Barcelona, the Central Library in Terrassa, the School and Library of Engineers at the North Campus of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), and the Centre for Performing Arts of Osona – L’Atlàntida in Vic.
The CSCAE’s decision was announced yesterday, May 14, and in its verdict, the Jury highlighted “his serene work, his valuable intervention in existing architectures, and the attention to the quality of the urban environment, current benchmarks of which he is a precursor.” It emphasises that the quality of his work imparts to new generations “enduring values, useful for society”, and in the same vein, concludes by highlighting a “teaching work understood as a profession and the profession as an academy in itself.”
At Figueras Seating, we have had the honour and privilege of collaborating on two projects: the auditorium of the Molecular Institute of Barcelona (IMO) and in L’Atlàntida, Vic, equipping its two main halls: the Ramon Montanyà Hall and the Joaquim Maideu Hall. In both halls, functionality and aesthetics were combined to create a space adapted to the modern needs of the performing arts, one of which is multipurpose.
At Figueras Seating, we are particularly proud to have collaborated with a professional of his calibre on these two projects. This partnership allowed us to explore new possibilities both in the design of a cultural space and a corporate space, reaffirming our commitment to innovation and excellence in creating environments that enrich the human experience.
This award reaffirms Llinàs’s legacy as one of the great architects of our era and underscores the importance of architecture as a discipline that shapes societies in a functional and aesthetic manner. From Figueras Seating, we extend our warmest congratulations to Josep Llinàs for this well-deserved recognition.
