The University of Notre Dame School of Architecture will host the annual Driehaus Prize Lecture featuring 2010 laureate, Spanish architect Rafael Manzano Martos, on Nov. 17 (Wednesday).
Manzano’s lecture, “Mudéjar Architecture: Balance Between East and West, ” will take place at 4:30 p.m. in Room 104 of Bond Hall. A reception will follow in the Bond Hall Gallery.
Mudéjar architecture blends Muslim and Christian influences used primarily during the 12th century on the Iberian Peninsula. With expertise in this style and a command of Western and Islamic vernaculars, Manzano has designed hotels, commercial buildings, homes and residential complexes throughout Spain and the Middle East. His best-known work includes state homes for Chueca Goitia in Seville and Curro Romero in Marbella (now a Julio Iglesias property). His fluency in Islamic style informs designs for a hotel in Mosul, Iraq, and a hotel resort and shopping district in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Born in Cádiz, Spain, Manzano’s career has included building restoration, urban planning and teaching, in addition to his architectural work. From 1970 to 1991, Manzano served as the director-curator and governor of the Alcázar of Seville, a royal palace. Originally a Moorish fort, the Alcázar is one of the finest enduring examples of Mudéjar architecture.
The Richard H. Driehaus Prize, established in 2003 through the Notre Dame School of Architecture, honors the best practitioners of traditional, classical and sustainable architecture and urbanism in the modern world. The $200,000 prize represents the most significant recognition for classicism in the contemporary built environment. More information is available here.